


Sticks and Stones: Words

by half_sleeping



Series: Sticks and Stones [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Not all of them die, a ridiculous majority, just a majority of knb characters appear, your time to save nigou is up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-03-26 15:25:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 40,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3855634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/half_sleeping/pseuds/half_sleeping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Book 3 of the Avatar!AU of Kuroko no Basuke: backstory, so, so much backstory.</p><blockquote>
  <p>“<i>Again</i>?” said Akashi, weary beyond measure. </p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so IDEALLY, you are going to get five straight chapters of this, one posted for every week of May. Thank you so much for waiting and still being here, and if you're brand-new, you're going to need to read the previous two books as well as the short story collection for your recap. You'll notice a number of adjustments to the setting due to new canon from the Korra series, but I -runs away shouting LA LA LA at the top of my voice- 
> 
> ONWARD AND UPWARDS, we're starting book 3.
> 
> Edit note: jcmin shamed me so even though it's not right on the x posts I have corrected a name, go about your day.

The baby bison were loose on Air Temple Island. Bawling and grunting, they rampaged through the air barrelling head-first into passing acolytes for comfort while the adults of their herd sat quietly chewing their cud.

As Kuroko and Midorima crested the horizon climbing the stairs to the Air Temple from the jetty, the calves, yelling, rounded the corner of the temple going at full speed.

Midorima backed up hastily from the mass of fur and legs, careful of his still-broken arm. Luckily for him, Kuroko caught him before he could topple backwards down the stairs.

"Oi!" barked an airbender. He spun out air in tiny typhoons, the calves yelling even louder as they found themselves wafting up into the air, spinning around and around. Some, more in control or at the front of the pack, broke away bawling, but Kuroko and Midorima were spared the stampede.

"Sorry about that," the airbender said, looking over the upended baby air bison, waggling their many legs sadly in the air. "They won't sit still today, and they're running around getting into everyone's way."

“Thank you-?” said Kuroko. He noticed one baby calf had taken a firm hold on Midorima’s long coat with her milk teeth, and bent to help the waterbender shoo her away.

“Nakamura,” said their helper. “Here, I’ve got her.”

Nakamura coaxed a light-coloured baby away from Midorima’s furs, draped over his shoulder to spare his injured arm.

“Bad bison,” said Midorima, harassed. “Bad bison!”

“It’s the dragon,” Nakamura said, indicating the roof of the temple with a wave of his hand. “Damn thing’s got them all stirred up. They’ll be daring each other to fly up to him and touch him for a joke next, and I hope he eats them for it.”

"I'm not sure he would regard it as a joke," said Kuroko, watching the dragon yawn, exposing colossal white teeth, and settle himself more soundly on the roof of the Air Temple. The great head was turned towards Republic City.

“He’s come for the Prince, I guess,” said Nakamura. He looked at them. “And you guys are here for Kise?”

“Yes,” said Midorima.

“Is he free?” inquired Kuroko politely.

“He’s out back in the Spirit Grove,” said Nakamura. “Kasamatsu isn’t here, so no one is hauling out to shout at him. I think he’s torturing himself with the quiet. I’ll show you the way.”

“Kasamatsu-san is away?” said Kuroko.

“Flew out this morning,” said Nakamura. “Down these stairs. Watch yourself on them. Normally we’d just jump down, but for you guys… it’s a clear path. If you see any spirits, just walk past them.”

“Thank you very much,” said Kuroko. “Midorima-kun, give me your arm or you will fall down these stairs and break your neck.”

Midorima submitted to this with good grace, for him. “I hope you’re not planning to put that in your newspaper,” he said, suspiciously. “You understand that when I asked you to help Kise, I did not mean for you to be able to use knowledge you gained in confidential circumstances to expose fleet movements in the Northern territories. Publishing this kind of information could get back to the Mukan and -”

“Midorima-kun, you are exposing more confidential information right now than I could find out by interrogating a dozen airbenders,” said Kuroko. “Please focus on your footholds. You are holding onto a snake spirit, not the railing of the stairs.”

Kise, as promised, was lying in the spirit grove at the base of the cliff. Kuroko was surprised to see that Kise was meditating, not napping as Kuroko would have expected of the easy-going Avatar.

He turned and beamed to see them as they entered the grove. “You guys!” he said. “Did you come to visit me? How are Kagamichi and Momochi and Aominechi? Do you miss me? Does Nigou miss me?”

“No,” said Midorima, revolted.

“They’re doing very well, Kise-kun,” said Kuroko. “Actually, we came because Midorima-kun suggested I might be able to help you.”

“Escape the island without getting yelled at by Akashichi?” said Kise.

“With energybending,” said Midorima. “Why are you thinking about leaving the island and slacking off or putting yourself in danger? Do you not understand the position you are in?”

Kise let out a big sigh and slumped sideways until his face hit the grass. “What about energybending,” he said, muffled.

"Fortunately for you," said Midorima, “I knew Kuroko to have been a student of various theories of chi and, since I have many other much more important things to do, have requested his aid in elucidating them for you.”

“I’m sure Kise-kun will prove to be an apt and enthusiastic pupil,” said Kuroko. “Won’t you, Kise-kun?”

Midorima snorted derisively.

Kise turned large and wondering eyes on Kuroko. “Kurokochi?” he said. “What do you know about chi?”

“I have a fairly extensive theoretical grounding,” said Kuroko, “aside from my studies with my grandmother, while I lived in Kiyoshi Village with Aomine-kun and Momoi-san, the Kiyoshi Warriors graciously allowed me access to their books and records and, as you already know, I was tutored by Momoi-san in the practical application of their art.”

Midorima nodded.

“Oh,” said Kise. “Kurokochi, er, not to slander your grandmother, but what did she know about energybending?”

“My grandmother became interested in the art from her lover, Avatar Ira,” said Kuroko. “She herself was a healer of no mean achievement, and she made great strides in studying the applications of energybending to her craft.”

“Her what,” said Kise.

“Her healing, Kise-kun,” said Kuroko. “I’m sure you’re aware that chi techniques have long been used as a part of waterbending healing. Midorima-kun has even studied with the Fire Sages for the same purpose.”

“No,” said Kise. “Back up. Back up! Your grandmother and Avatar Ira were-”

"Yes, lovers," said Kuroko. "My memories of her are of course somewhat unclear, but she was a dear and welcome family member in our house, and my grandmother mourned her and remembered her fondly for many years until her own death."

Kise closed his mouth. "Can I go-" he asked weakly, "process this a minute?"

"This cannot really be a surprise to you," said Midorima. “Did you pay _no_ attention to histories of past Avatars?”

"Surely you have met many others who remember your previous life," said Kuroko, more diplomatically.

"But they weren't her-" choked Kise. He looked at Kuroko, and pinked. Kuroko kindly patted his head.

"You shock me," said Midorima. “Aren’t Air Nomads proponents of free love?”

Kise glared at him. "Well, I thought the Water Tribe was supposed to be all uptight and proper," he said.

"You’ve obviously never lived in a igloo," said Midorima. He adjusted his glasses with his unbroken arm.

“You live in a palace,” said Kise.

“Made of ice,” said Midorima. “The point stands.”

“Regardless,” said Kuroko, breaking into their bickering. “Kise-kun, I offer you my assistance in the hope that it will help you unlock your energybending.”

“Thank you, Kurokochi,” said Kise, sweetly.

“Work him like a polar bear dog,” said Midorima.

.0.

Throwing open the heavy wooden doors, Alex surveyed the Council room. It was full of clerks and files and dusty shafts of sunlight, and the members of the Republic City Council looked haggard and worn, beaten down by care and responsibility.            

Yeesh. Thank goodness she'd never wanted a career in politics.

"Miss, this is a closed session-" cried the clerk who'd tried to stop her getting in the first place.

"Really? My favourite kind," said Alex, unfazed. "My dear friends! How long it's been."

Kagetora was the first to recover. "Alex!" He said, getting out of his chair with an audible crack, which Alex hoped was his chair and not his back. He came around the table to hug her, crushing her against his bulk. "What brings you to Republic City? And how did you get in?”

"I came dragon-back, of course," she said, ignoring the second question. "It was the least I could do, after getting those kind of messages from my cute students."

"What kind of messages?" said Araki, suspiciously. Alex had always thought that her face was going to stick like that some day, which would have been a shame.

"Just that Prince Taiga had been found and he’d gotten into a spot of trouble," said Alex. Since no one was offering her a chair, she seated herself on the edge of the table, winking at Elder Takeuchi as he stared sadly at his pinned papers.

“Was that all?” said Kagetora, abruptly. He had returned to his seat, and was now frowning a little at her, his earlier friendliness receding. Nakatani hadn’t changed expression, but Alex was willing to bet he was bristling all over inside. He fussed over that little cousin of his like a mother cat, and never had quite forgiven Alex for that time with the shirshu and the radish spirit.

“Probably there was more,” agreed Alex. “But it didn’t really seem relevant to me, so I just threw some things in a bag and hitched a ride over here to see Taiga.”

“What, exactly, is ‘irrelevant’ to you, Alex?” said Nakatani. “In the scheme of international affairs?”

“Quite a lot,” said Alex. “I’m not a big-shot like you guys, after all.”

"But _you_ are deputized to retrieve the prince?" said Nakatani. His face had definitely stuck like that a few decades ago and not changed at all. “To say nothing of the circumstance of his highness leaving the palace unattended and allowed to wander the world like a vagabond.”

"It didn't hurt him any," Alex pointed out. "I lived with the Air Nomads a few years, too, really expands your horizons. Besides, I think it was getting lonely for Taiga at home."

Nakatani's face didn't change. “When internal matters involve royalty,” he said, each word carefully chosen. “They become incidents of international concern.”

"I just wanted to drop by and see them," said Alex, narrowing her eyes. "We shouldn't throw words like international incident around so easily, huh? Let's try to solve it between friends."

Harasawa sighed. “But you do have to see your presence here signals to the world that this _is_ an international incident,” he said. "When it should be handled as a matter within Republic City territory and in Republic City jurisdiction. Now that you're here, no matter how much you protest that you’re here on personal business, we are going to get the full complement of busybodies and nitpickers-”

The door opened again. "C-commander Akashi!" announced the clerk.

Takeuchi groaned. Harasawa’s tones carried, even if the Commander’s face gave no sign he had heard the remark.

Kagetora, never one to let diplomatic tension get in the way of appreciating a truly ridiculous or awkward situation for someone else, choked down his laugh.

“My lookouts reported a dragon entering Republic City airspace,” Akashi excused himself. It sounded lame even to Alex’s ears, not that she was about to call him on it. She was surprised that Seijuurou, usually correct to a fault, would just barge in on the Council like that, and pointedly not greet the Republic City Council, who were ostensibly the people who gave him his orders. No wonder they were stressed if they had to deal with this kind of pressure. “I thought that it could only be you, Alex.” He looked at the council, who gazed back at him with varying levels of exasperation and resignation.

“If this is not a suitable time, I will excuse myself,” he said, cooly. His gaze switched to Alex. “If your business here is concluded, may I escort you to the embassy? We have a great deal to catch up on.”

"Of course!" beamed Alex. She got off the table. "Seijuurou! My dear- well, you were never really my student, but-"

"But assuredly, you were my master," said Akashi, a note of real warmth in his voice, and bowed.

He straightened and was nearly fast enough, but not quite, to escape Alex lunging forward to plant a big fat kiss on his lips.

.0.

“Why is he here _again_ ,” said Aomine.

“That’s a good question,” said Kagami. The pan smoked and sizzled and spat more delicious smells into the air, joining those of the- Aomine craned his head- eight or nine already cooked dishes sitting on their table. It had been like this since that Himuro had come in and taken Kagami out with him, promising to have him back soon.

Kagami had come back with money- “From the embassy, I told them to take it from my accounts” he had said, shortly- and in a terrible mood. He kept cooking food and forbidding them to eat it.

Well. Forbidding Aomine to eat it. But when he was stuck here recuperating, what else was he supposed to do? It wasn’t like there wasn’t more than enough to go around.

Even for that asshole Lieutenant, who wouldn’t stop hanging around. Today he was lying on his stomach, playing with Nigou to keep him from getting under Kagami’s feet. Aomine could barely look at Nigou. What a traitor dog.

“Shin-chan told me to stay here and look after Kagami- sorry, his royal highness,” said Takao offhandedly.

“The hell he did,” said Kagami. “And don’t call me that.”

“Whatever you say, sir,” said Takao comfortably. “My orders, if you like, are to keep watching you, and if you look like you’re about to skip town or run away, I’m to inform Shin-chan immediately, and then _he_ will come get you before you can, and this is a quote, ‘act like a hotheaded fool again’.”

Kagami’s eyes flashed. Actually flashed, like a sky full of storm clouds.

“I won’t run,” he said, shortly. “But if Commander Akashi wants to talk to me, he can come do it himself. And that goes for Tatsuya, too.”

Takao’s eyebrows lifted. “Who said anything about the commander?” he said, “I’m pretty sure Shin-chan decided to do this all on his own.” Takao paused. “Because he’s worried about you.”

“Well he can stuff it,” said Kagami, even as his cheeks pinked.

“Duly noted,” said Takao. He batted at Nigou’s ears. “When are we eating?”

“When Momoi gets back,” said Kagami. He frowned at Aomine, who had emitted a noise of great complaint. “She’s still working night shifts, you know. And we’re lucky she didn’t lose her job over this.”

As if that sentence made any sense at all. Kagami didn’t need to be lucky, he was a prince.

“Ryou said they’re too het up for officers right now,” said Aomine. “And they like having a chi-blocker around.”

“People like her,” said Takao. “She’s pretty and people will tell her things and really feel she gets them. That’s good when you’re on the ground.”

Aomine looked at him.

“Miyaji-san told me,” said Takao. “She took his statement after that incident at Narook’s. Remember, he got into a fight with the vicious gangster, you beat him up, Shin-chan got into a fight with you, and then they broke out the airships and shut down a third of the city trying to smoke you guys out?”

“Sorta,” said Aomine. He frowned. “That cook guy? He’s not a bad bender, actually. What’s he doing in a dump like that?”

“I like Narook’s,” said Takao calmly.

Kagami rumbled a warning noise. Filthy, filthy mood.

“You know what I mean,” said Aomine. “Where’d he pick up those moves?”

“He was one of my NCOs back when I first enlisted,” said Takao. “He’s tough, but we all respected him, you know? He really looked out for us. Recommended me for my commission, _much_ fancier uniform. But the last I heard of him, he’d left the Fleet for family reasons. I didn’t meet him again until I got back on shore and went to Narook’s to cheer myself up.”

“But that’s the life, right?” said Aomine, scratching his head. “Coupla guys from my village signed, too. Auntie Li’s kid has been away for three years.”

“That’s the life,” Takao agreed. He studied them both. “Neither of you ever thought of enlisting? Kagami could’ve enrolled in Officer School, easy.”

“No,” said Kagami. He upended the pan onto a plate, and set to scrubbing it to make it ready for another dish.

Aomine and Takao shared a look. If Satsuki didn’t come back soon, Aomine would- well, he didn’t know what he’d do.

That was the problem. None of them had any idea what to do.

.0.

Hyuuga's fist hit the desk, making the telephone and stationery jump. “For the last time, we want answers!” he barked.

“Yeah!” echoed everyone Hyuuga could scare up for an impromptu mob of angry concerned citizens. Some were just gawkers and rabble rouser;, others, like them, hadn’t seen hide or hair of their friends since the second raid on the sewers, barely a week ago.

"Sir!" cowered the unfortunate clerk manning the reception desk today, a cadet Furihata by his Hello, ___ is serving you today! name tag. "Please, I've told you! We're not authorized to release any information at the time. I’ve told you this repeatedly! Threatening me is not going to get you information, because I _don’t know any_! Please calm down!”

Izuki had out his notebook, which he was welding as aggressively as Hyuuga was his fist. "Are you authorized to release who placed this gag order?" he asked. "If not, then who ordered you not to release the identity of the person who ordered you not to release the information that should be readily available to any citizen of Republic City? Was it the council? Is it United Republic Fleet high command? What truth is there to the rumors of a schism between the rank and the file? We are prepared to pursue this case all the way to the top!"

Furihata opened his mouth, closed his mouth, and looked like he was about to cry. Mitobe nodded at him comfortingly, and placed a restraining hand on Hyuuga’s shoulder. The firebender took a deep, calming breath.

“At least let us see them,” said Hyuuga, crossing his arms in lieu of leaving more sooty handprints on the desk. “Why all this secrecy about the people who were taken in? He went in there to help the police, not to get arrested for something that wasn’t even his fault to begin with.”

“The results of our investigations -” said Furihata desperately.

“Investigations that aren’t warranted?” said Hyuuga. “What are they even being _charged with_ , why can’t anyone tell us that?”

“Fortunately for the safety of our citizens, arrests in investigations undertaken under the aegis of international jurisdiction need no warrant,” said a new voice, “since in many cases, such as in this one, the perpetrator sought to disappear into a new location to escape the consequences of his crimes.”

Several people jumped. Hyuuga looked around frantically.

"M-Mayuzumi-sa- sir!" said Furihata. “These people, they…” he looked at the newcomer imploringly.

He was a tall man, whose air was more supercilious than commanding. Every detail seemed to clock in for an officer, though, that sneer, neat hair, disdainful level grey eyes, fancy uniform, grey detailing for a non-bender. Hyuuga totalled up all those shiny buttons and embroidery and realised he was a lieutenant at least, way higher up on the pay grade than any of them had expected to see.  
The fleet officer looked Hyuuga's group over, making sure to linger his eyes on their faces as if memorising them.

Izuki advanced with his notebook. “Your name and rank, please sir!” he said. “For the Times!”

“Lieutenant Colonel Mayuzumi, attached to the _Victory_ as Commander Akashi’s aide-de-camp,” he said. “May I know what is the cause of all this uproar?”

Several voices clamoured loudly all at once. Hyuuga’s was not one of them. The Commander’s personal assistant out here on a minor public relations gaffe? No one had even started chanting yet, let alone hefting bricks.

“We know our rights!” said Koganei, somewhat unwisely.

“I see,” said Mayuzumi. “Well, for the Times, I see no reason why we shouldn’t release a statement right now.”

“Sir?” said Furihata.

“A statement?” said Hyuuga. “What kind of statement?”

"An official one," said Mayuzumi. He cleared his throat. "The Republic City Council has authorized a statement regarding the arrest of Kiyoshi Teppei, also known in some places as the Iron Heart, an accomplished Earth Bender of some repute. He stands accused of seditious political activity in numerous towns under the aegis of the Earth Kingdom, Republic City and Northern Water Tribe, as well as involvement in a plot to abduct the Fire Nation Prince. He has been identified as a member of the group known as the Mukan- the Crownless, the Unrecognised. They are a terrorist group responsible for untold amounts of destruction and injury. If you would like me to repeat it, _for the Times_ ,” he said, “I will be happy to.”

“That’s ridiculous,” burst out Hyuuga. “Kiyoshi’s not a criminal!”

Mayuzumi turned his blank gaze onto Hyuuga and deliberately paused until the silence became oppressive. “You may believe that,” he said, while Hyuuga purpled. “However, I assure you- and the people of Republic City- that the charges are indeed correct and substantiated. If you have any further questions, please feel free to write into the Head Office with your concerns.”

“We’re in the head office right now, you smarmy bastard,” said Hyuuga.

Mayuzumi closed and opened his eyes, very slowly. “So you are,” he said, in tones of mock surprise. “Cadet Furihata?”

“Yes, sir!” said Furihata.

“Escort these men to the suggestion box,” he said. “Help them with the stroke order for the difficult words. Their concerns are perfectly reasonable and must, of course, be heard.”

Fortunately for all involved, at this point Mitobe and Koganei each seized one of Hyuuga’s arms and dragged him out of the lobby, while Izuki hastily followed.

Hyuuga shook them off and pressed his steaming palms against the wall of the alley outside, huffing little puffs of flame. “They’re not going to get away with this,” he said, when he could speak again. “They’re not- Kiyoshi’s _not a terrorist_. He was just helping them. He only got mixed up with Hanamiya because he was helping _us_. And now they want to throw him away on some trumped-up charge, because they didn’t get Hanamiya to crucify? They can’t do that.”

Unexpectedly, a voice said, “I agree.”

For the second time that day, they all jumped. “Who’s that?” said Koganei. The man stepped forward out of the back of the alley, pushing back his longish dark black hair. Hyuuga stared. He was covered all over with jewelry, silvery metals- bangles, overlapping armbands, necklaces and chokers, rings, piercings, and a row of metal cuffs that marched up the outside curve of his ears. It was like someone had crashed into a very sharp flea market stand eight separate times.

“I absolutely admire how you defended justice like that,” he said. He had a pleasant voice, low-pitched and musical. “Particularly for Teppei. He’s one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met. It’s a crime to be locking him up. A _crime_.”

“You… know Kiyoshi?” said Izuki.

The stranger tittered, which instantly grated on Hyuuga’s nerves. “Very well, actually,” he said. “I want to help him. And I know you do, too. So we can help each other.”

“Hold on, this is a bad idea,” said Hyuuga.

“Worse than picking a fight with an LC in the Fleet Head Office?” said Izuki. He studied his notebook. “Good copy, though. This probably counts as an exclusive.”

“Do you not remember what happened with the _last_ sad sack stranger we picked up,” scowled Hyuuga. “Look what happened to him! Look at our life. Look at our choices.”

Mitobe looked at the newcomer. Did he really think he could help Kiyoshi? They were so worried about him.

“Yes,” he said, and smiled at them. “At least, will you hear me out?”

.0.

Somewhat to Alex's surprise, when she asked for Tatsuya's direction, she was directed not to the Fire Nation's ambassador's residence, but to the Republic City Four Elements, where she stood in the elevator for an obscene amount of time as it wooshed her upstairs to the Imperial Penthouse Suite. The room’s spare private butler stood at the ready to hold the open button, should she require it upon disembarking.  
The door opened onto surroundings Alex could only describe as palatial. Decorated tastefully in purple, green and gold, the suite took up the entire top floor and her butler was only one of three, waiting to offer her drinks, a hot towel, and wave her into the room where Tatsuya was reclining on a silk-draped daybed, meditatively eating sweets. He rose to greet her with a smile. His scarlet silk tunic was covered with so much gold embroidery it looked like armour, and jewels winked from his ears and wrists.

“Alex!” said Tatsuya, adroitly dodging her expertly aimed kisses. “You’ve come to visit us!”

“Nice place,” she said, hugging him instead with a laugh. “Wonder if I could get it expensed if I billed it to the embassy.”

"That's what comes with traveling with a Murasakibara," said Tatsuya, smiling. “Have you met Atsushi before?”

"No, but I've heard of the family and I love the outlet just across from the school," she said. She sat, spreading her arms to enjoy the thousand-count sheets. "He not around?"

Tatsuya laughed. "Atsushi performs stringent quality checks on the main outlet in Republic City every day," he said. "By eating everything they have in stock. He’ll be busy with that for a while.”

“So you met him in the Earth Kingdom?” said Alex.

“Oh, yes,” said Tatsuya. “I was a guest on the family estate in Ba Sing Se. They’re a lovely family. And so generous! Do you know, Alex, I feel I could quite honestly say that everything I have right now is a direct result of the love and affection which they’ve showered onto me. And Atsushi. Lots of it on Atsushi. You have to meet him, he’s adorable.”

“He sounds it!” said Alex brightly. “Yes, thank you, more sparkling lingon-plum brandy.”

“Fill my master’s cup,” said Tatsuya, sparkling a smile to butler number… two? Alex was losing track. Tatsuya continued talking, his voice smooth and sweet. “- and we spent some time with the Metal Clan out in Zao Fu. There’s this girl who has this way of customising metal jewelry especially for you that I was absolutely charmed by, she’s booked through the decade but if you come with me, she says she has time anytime. And they’re so kind, of course.” Tatsuya lapsed backwards onto the daybed. “So intellectual, so _artistic_. Metalworking has made them rich, and they’re eager to share their bounty and knowledge with whoever visits.” As Tatsuya talked, he sifted through the collection of pendants around his neck, and among them, very obvious, the golden flame of the Fire Nation spilled out onto his chest, gleaming. “Everyone I meet is so very kind to me.” It sounded innocent, but Alex knew Tatsuya well enough to doubt that.

"You're still wearing that?" said Alex. "You know, I thought you'd have... more sense than that, Tatsuya?”

"Only as a memento, Alex," said Tatsuya. "It reminds me of... happier times." He ran his manicured finger down the inward golden curve, face pensive. The servants discreetly withdrew.

“Have you seen Taiga?” said Alex. She put down her glass. “How is he doing?”

Tatsuya shook his head sadly. "Taiga was not...happy to see me," he admitted. "I met with him and tried to persuade him to see reason, but..."

He gazed limpidly at her. In those icy blue eyes she saw only a wall, shading depths which made her afraid for the boy he had been. "He's so stubborn, Alex."

"All you boys are," said Alex drily. "I consider it quite the family trait."

Tatsuya's smile gave away nothing, like it always had. "I simply feel that even if our relationship isn't the same as it used to be, as Taiga's older brother, it's incumbent on me to ensure his safety,” said Tatsuya. He sipped his tea, and continued to smile at Alex. "I know this is also a paramount concern for you. After all," he mused. "He's the one next in line for the Fire Nation throne."


	2. Chapter 2

“Then what was ya reason for being in the sewers, Narumi?” said Police Captain Imayoshi, with the air of a man prepared to ask the same question all day until he got the answer he liked. “It’s a simple question. One ya don’t seem to be able to find an answer to every time ah ask it to ya.”

“I was working,” said Narumi, still very brave for a man chained in the underground interrogation rooms for the umpteenth time in his life. He hadn't been half so cocky last time, and they'd had less on him then. “That’s a thing I do. I have to do it and keep doing it.”

“Oh,” said Imayoshi. “So ya were down there in the special auxiliary firebender section of the Red Monsoons, a gang comprised only of waterbenders.”

Narumi glared. “I- I was just muscle. Cheap muscle, they hired me to guard some stuff.”

Imayoshi pounced. “What stuff?” he said.

“How should I know?” said Narumi. “I was being paid to guard it, not look at it.”

That was a good comeback, for a two-bit part-timer rent-a-thug like Narumi, who could be outsmarted by a bowl of noodles. Imayoshi almost felt the need to applaud.

"Come on," he said, and dug his toes into the dirt. “Ya didn’t do anything else? See anything else? That setup down there didn’t look like Red work, ya know that as well I do. Down there working that shift, ya didn’t see anything weird? Were ya really just there for the Reds, Narumi? Reds shafted you the last time you brushed up against them. Reds ruined a good thing for a lot of people in this city. Ya don’t owe Hanamiya Makoto jack shit and ya both know it.”

Narumi hesitated. His pulse raced. His throat worked: Imayoshi felt it through his feet and prepared himself to chase down that weakness--

Narumi spat on the floor. "I don't know anything," he repeated. "Take it or leave it. You may be feeding me shit in here, but at least you're feeding me. I'm in no rush."

Imayoshi relaxed out of his stance, bending his soles back on. “Fair enough,” he said, and bent open the otherwise seamless metal door. Wakamatsu and Momoi stood outside, leaning against the wall. Imayoshi bent open Narumi’s ankle restraints and Wakamatsu dragged him upright and kept him standing as the prisoner wobbled and nearly fell.

“Take him away,” Imayoshi nodded to them.

“Narumi-kun, this way,” Momoi said, and led him down the corridor. The paths in and out of the prison and around the cells would have shifted by now, courtesy of the earthbending officers.

“When does my bending come back?” Narumi said, pathetically.

“In a few hours, Narumi-kun,” she said. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing permanent. I can even show you some breathing exercises to make your circulation better while you’re cooped up in here and can’t be very active!”

“Momoi, stop helping him,” Imayoshi heard Wakamatsu growl. “He’s criminal scum.”

“Hey,” said Narumi, who really was so very stupid. “Show the lady some respect!”

Imayoshi sighed. Well, that had been a bust. Truth seeing was just so damn chancy. Narumi's pulse had been jumping the whole interview, but that could have been down to any number of things. Maybe if he’d been the great Iron Heart, with his near-magical ability to irritate the truth out of anyone, he could have done something about it, but asking Kiyoshi for help was out of the question.

Even with Kiyoshi’s bending turned off Imayoshi couldn’t be sure if Kiyoshi was playing him, because all he did was sit there mum as a clam or talk about pai sho. Imayoshi had taken to playing with him just to have an excuse to sit him in the interrogation room for a couple of quiet hours. For about five hours poor Sakurai had worried himself sick that Kiyoshi was going on a hunger strike, but it turned out he'd just been napping and knocked over his afternoon tea and bun by accident. Two absolutely humorless Fleet guards stood watch on his wooden cell at all times, stripped of all metal and insignia. They would have liked to house him on the ship, but no one trusted his wide-eyed promise that he couldn't metal bend, not even the tiniest bit, enough to put him on a ship made almost entirely of the stuff. An objection that the police force’s underground prisons were the worst place to hold any earthbender, metalbender or not, had been ignored.

Not even Imayoshi mentioning Mako had managed to get a rise out of him: the story about the time Mako had decided he was going to become part of the swamp tree had gotten great laughs and very little else. Kiyoshi Teppei wasn’t an investigative dead end, but he would stay one as long as he had no reason to talk. Imayoshi could think of only one very good reason to make Kiyoshi talk, but it had no effect on him: that whatever Mako was mixed up in, it wasn't over yet.

.0.

 _Beast_ , as usual, was one of the most uncomfortable places Hanamiya had ever woken up in. The ship itself was in immaculate condition for a cast-off piece of junk, but the company he could have done without.

Nebuya pointed a finger at Mako. “No other way to say it,” he said, his mouth full. “You messed up.”

“You blew everything just because some thug pissed you off?” said Hayama, laughing his short sharp hyena laugh. “That’s so not you, Mako!”

Mako snarled, low in his throat. “You weren’t there,” he said. “I had the prince, and a Water Tribe royal. _And_ the Avatar. They all walked themselves right into my grasp. If the Fleet hadn’t been ready for us-”

“They were ready because _your_ little gangster dude turned traitor and ratted you out,” said Nebuya. “We lost one of our own ships getting you out of there. We’re not exactly swimming in them, you get it?”

Mako clenched his fist on the impulse to yank that musclehead’s tongue right out of his idiot throat. For one thing, there was earth everywhere on the ship, even sitting innocently in the clay planter in the corner of the cabin, and Nebuya was not a forgiving opponent. For another, Hayama was right there, balanced on the chair he was tipping backwards and watchful. He would snap Mako’s spine before any of them could blink. Mako could have mopped the floor with one of them out here on the ocean: two was a chancy proposition.

“He was police, not Fleet,” said Mako. “Look to your own side for the leak. That bastard brings in half the _Victory_ ’s convoy to come home and drink cocktails? I thought you guys had a sure-fire plan to bring him down.”

“I thought you were the one who came up with all the fancy plans,” pointed out Nebuya. “The twins were the ones who thought sending in to get their hands on the prince was a good idea, not us. Anyone could have told them that it was damn stupid. We got pulled off our route to back them up.”

“If we’d gotten him out of there under his brother’s fucking nose it would have been worth it,” said Mako, who still remembered having four or five promising- very promising- project sites broken up by the Commander’s interference. “The Avatar was just icing on the cake.”

"Shou didn't like having to bust you out of there another time," said Hayama, balancing a grape-lemon on his face. “Were you even sure you got the right one? Fake prince scams pop up all the time, you know.”

"Do you think I'm an idiot like you?" said Mako. "He was a firebender and he wore the royal pendant, like every damn description we've ever had of him."

“He had a piece of metal shaped like fire and painted gold,” said Nebuya, unperturbed. “We see that all the time out here. People go crazy over princes, all. the. time.”

Mako put his hand to his head. Shit like this was why he’d gone back to Republic City in the fucking first place. Any more and Shou or no, Mako was making himself a seaweed monster and sinking this ship.

“Where the hell is Shou, anyway?” he said. “We’re a bit short here, aren’t we?” If only you idiots are heading up this ship.

“Dunno,” said Nebuya. “He dropped you off, told us to up anchor and cross with the Serpentine, and kept on flying.”

Mako stared flatly at him. “Yes,” he said. “So helpful.”

Nebuya shrugged. “Storm’s coming in,” he reported. “We’re battening down. Even if we wanted to get anywhere, we’re not going today. Rest up. Once it’s over, we’ll have work to do.”

.0.

“You know, I think I have the hang of it now,” said Kise, all of two days into Kuroko’s instruction of him. “You showed me all those chi-blocking moves, and I figured them out really quickly!”

“Yes,” said Kuroko. The loss of sensation in his entire right side was almost comforting. It reminded him of sparring with Momoi, and it was a relief to think Kuroko would not be expected to get up and keep teaching Kise until he could move again.

“And someday, Midorimachi may forgive us,” said Kise.

“It’s good that Takao-kun was free today to take him back to the embassy in that cart,” said Kuroko. “With only minimal assistance, Midorima-kun will be able to regain the ability to walk under his own power in no time.”

Kise snickered. “I wonder when we’re leaving,” he said, throwing his head back and testing the air. “I mean, the conference is pretty much broken up now, except for parties, but I guess Akashichi will _have_ to go to the Fire Nation one. Now that Master Alex Garcia is attending, and you know, _that_.”

Kuroko followed the artless wave of Kise’s hand and looked up at the Air Temple spire, where the dragon was coiled restlessly, still watching the buildings of Republic City across the bay. Nestled in the wide folds of wing were a handful of the bravest Air Bison babies, who had seized the opportunity to take a nap on always-warm scales.

“Sempai should be reaching the temple by now,” Kise said. “He said he’d telegraph back when he got to the Northern Air Temple and met up with Captain Nijimura.”

“That’s a long way to go,” Kuroko remarked. “And the weather hasn’t been the best this time of year.”

“He took his bison,” said Kise, the sunny expression falling off his face. “As long as they don’t push too hard, it’ll be okay.”

Kuroko thought that just maybe, he was regaining the ability to wiggle his toes. If he could only show Kise how to focus the energy while reactivating his chi points, perhaps they could get somewhere with this. He did not in the least blame Midorima-kun for retreating in a huff: the only way Kise seemed able to absorb anything was if it was accompanied by or consisted of a physical demonstration, and his irritation at still being confined to Air Temple Island was palatable. Yesterday, as now, he continually jumped from subject to subject, as easily diverted as the wind, and not anywhere near so tractable.

They were sitting on the edge of the island facing the shore, looking the same direction as the dragon, watching ships cross the bay. From here Kuroko could see the attic’s gold-painted windows, where he had no doubt Aomine and Kagami were still convalescing under strict orders.

“Why do you think Akashichi never told me he was being targeted by terrorists?” said Kise, throwing himself on the ground next to Kuroko. “I’m the Avatar. I could have done something about it.”

Kuroko lifted his head. Kise was looking at his hands and their arrows, turning them over in the light. They glowed against his skin, but remained avatar state-less.

“I mean, it’s not like I was being trained and all that for nothing,” the Avatar continued. He pouted at Kuroko. “I’m pretty good, you know! Not just at earth and water. I’ve mastered all the elements.”

“You have,” said Kuroko. Kise’s face was aggrieved, his lovely eyes darting away restlessly.

“He should know,” said Kise sullenly. “He trained me himself.”

Kuroko uttered a soothing noise and Kise kicked his heels against the dusty ground. “I’ll get you a drink, Kurokchi!” he announced suddenly. “Then we can start again when you’re ready. I’m going to be leaving soon too, after all.”

Kuroko murmured assent only find Kise already gone, leaping to the upper spirals of the island in a rush of wind. He relaxed into the shade and continued to ponder how best to elucidate chi theory to the Avatar. Kise-kun needed focus, not occupation, but Kuroko couldn’t blame him for being distracted. At best, he and the other occupants of the attic were waiting for the other shoe to drop.

A figure on the opposite bank caught his eye. It was only a moment, but something about the tilt of that head, a familiar profile, a glimpse of reddish-brown hair, made Kuroko feel as though he had been struck by lightning.

Kuroko jerked upright, frantically scanning the street. The glare of the water- a mass of scurrying pedestrians- he had thought he’d seen- it couldn’t have been just a trick of the light… could it?

The name, almost forgotten, fell from his lips involuntarily. “Ogi… wara… kun?” Kuroko murmured, watching the anonymous mass of humanity pass through Republic City.

.0.

The storm had blown up out of nowhere, descending on their heads and nearly forcing them off-course. Kai huffed out a laboured breath and flew faster, bulling his great head against the wind. Kasamatsu guiltily patted his horns and stayed clinging to the neck strap as low to the bison's body as he could manage to minimize wind resistance, tucking the reins out of the way. The Northern Air Temple was just a few hours away- if they could keep from getting blown out of the sky until then.

The journey seemed interminable, cold and wet. Kasamatsu thought about meetings and what Kise was doing and movers, and then when that failed hummed songs into Kai’s fur to keep his ears clear and thought about hot baths. Kai rumbled back, in tune. The wind and rain got worse and worse, and Kasamatsu began to mentally run through the coastline, wondering he could turn back before they dropped out of the sky.

And then Nijimura Shuuzo dropped out of the sky onto the back of Kasamatsu’s bison, clipping the wings of his wingsuit closed against his body.

Kai grunted his annoyance, but kept flying. Nijimura flattened himself against the bison’s back and crawled up to where he could talk to Kasamatsu without the wind blowing their words away.

"No saddle?" he shouted.

"Weight!" Kasamatsu roared back. "What are you doing out here?"

"Got Akashi's message!" Nijimura shouted. “Sweeping for Mukan ships!"

Kasamatsu shook his head at the folly of hunting battleships alone, but that was Nijimura all over. In fairness, there was probably no one better suited to it than the former Captain of the second fleet's peacekeeping division, famous in four cultures for his exploits and bravery. Kasamatsu would not have chanced flying on his own in this, but this was probably just his preference for not drowning in the middle of the ocean talking.

"Found anything?" he yelled.

"Ships have vanished off their trade or patrol routes all up and down the coast!" Nijimura said grimly. "I don't think their crews just decided it was the right time to take a vacation!"

"The storm?" yelled Kasamatsu.

Nijimura shook his head. "They left hours ago!" he shouted. "I checked the coves and hideaways. Cleared out, all of them!"

Kasamatsu cursed. "Just escaped or planning something?” he said. _Doppelganger_ ’s crew hadn’t been talking when he left, but the Mukan were annoyingly well-organised. It was what made them so dangerous.

“They’re-” Nijimura started, then checked himself.

The winds were worsening. Kai huffed and tried to drop altitude, but was stymied by unnatural gusts that blew hard and strong, threatening to send them head over heels into the ocean below. Nijimura grabbed onto Kasamatsu with one arm and began to slowly spin his free arm to bend a wind up to stabilize them, but his winds were eaten up by the monster winds that rushed around them, tearing at their bodies and lungs.

Kai fought the winds. They got rougher and rougher, but Nijimura and Kasamatsu grimly held on, to each other and to Kai. If they separated now, they’d be lucky to just hit the water. Kai’s body contorted and shuddered, trying as hard as he could to shield them from the worst of it and still keep flying.

And then- silence, as the wind whistled around them, suddenly obedient. The clouds still raged, but a tunnel had formed around them, a clear shield of air. The winds lessened and cleared in their bubble, and Kasamatsu heard a hollow whistling echoing in his ears.

Nijimura elbowed him. “There,” he said. His voice was hoarse from shouting. "Five and down."

Kasamatsu looked in that direction. At the eye of that smooth calm was a- he squinted. A bison?

She flew leisurely through the air. On her back, a caped and hooded bender stood with his staff whirling lazy complicated patterns with one hand. He was the one controlling the storm, Kasamatsu realized, and his bending had been what whipped up the winds on the outside of his bubble, the blowback from forming this calm zone feeding into the storm and making it worse.

The other bison fell in with them, letting them float in her slipstream. Kai, dripping wet and exhausted, hung his six legs as he paddled tiredly after her.

“Who’s that?” Kasamatsu said, his own voice rough. He loosened his grip on the reins, wincing as his fingers protested. “And what the hell did he think he was doing? Anyone on the outside of that..."

"He's coming in with us," said Nijimura. “His heading is the Northern Air Temple too.” He frowned as he looked at the other air bender, who was looking at them and grinning as the wind blew back his hood, standing upright with his staff in one hand and the reins of his bison hanging from the fingers of his other hand. The sky parted before him as easily as it would for- hell, for Kise, that was what Kasamatsu found himself thinking. That languid ease, that perfect certainty. Under that raincoat, the newcomer was dressed as any airbender might have been, but like Nijimura, the arrows that striped his back and limbs had been tattooed with black ink, not blue, signifying that he’d taken his mastery without swearing to non-violence. "Fuck," said Nijimura. "Of all the damn times. Haizaki's come home."

.0.

“I think I hate sewers,” said Kagami, igniting his hand.

“You’re the one who wanted me to bring you in here,” Aomine pointed out. ‘I need to know how we get out of here without anyone seeing us leave the building’, his ass. Kagami was such a drama queen. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“Anywhere,” said Kagami. He stuck his other hand into his pocket and brought out a fistful of yuans. “Or the market, that’s good. We’re nearly out of food.”

Aomine grunted. They were only out of food because Kagami kept cooking up dishes and eating them, but that didn’t quite seem the right thing to say. Kagami had been kind of touchy ever since they got out of the hospital. Satsuki and Nigou did their best, but Aomine was taking the brunt of it since he wasn’t allowed to go anywhere either- getting out of the attic for a while was actually a big relief.

“This way,” he said.

“How far do these things go?” said Kagami.

“Everywhere,” said Aomine. “It’s how Mako got back into the city and laid low so long.”

Kagami narrowed his eyes at Aomine. Aomine cursed himself for reminding Kagami that technically speaking, Aomine was still on the rocks for messing up that whole Mako situation so badly.

“What are you going to do now?” said Kagami. “You think you’re healed up?”

Aomine shrugged. “I dunno,” he said, ignoring Kagami’s second question. “Satsuki and Tetsu seem pretty settled. Guess I’ll find another job. I don’t think Aida’s going to let me pro-bend again even if I get another team.” He brightened. “Maybe I’ll become a mover star.” Kise got offers all the time, Aomine could probably do that easy.

“What about us?” said Kagami.

“What _about_ you?” said Aomine. “You and Kise are going to go back to your important lives, and I guess Satsuki’ll cut your pictures out of all the papers for me to laugh at. We can look at Tetsu’s bylines.”

He was so caught up in this affecting picture that he missed Kagami stopping stock-still in the sewer, outraged.

“Wait,” said Kagami, grabbing Aomine’s shoulder. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You think I’m going to leave you guys?”

“Uh,” said Aomine. “Yeah? You’ve been bombed by people telling you it’s time to go home. I think that Midorima dude only turns up every day to make sure you’re being worn down. Kise hasn’t even been back. It’s okay. You can go. We were around before you, we’ll-”

Kagami’s hand tightened, and he shoved Aomine until his back hit the wall, his palm burning hot.

“Oi!” said Aomine, slapping it off. “Don’t get mad, just because-” _we don’t need you_ , he meant to say, but Kagami grabbed him with both hands, cutting Aomine off as he pushed the waterbender against the gross sewer wall.

“You think I’ll do that?” Kagami said, demanded. “You- do you not understand? You _nearly died_. If Shin hadn’t been there, you probably would have. And they think he’s going to come back! They still want to put you in jail! You think I’m cool with that? Hell, you think Momoi and Kuroko and Kise would be good with that? You think I’m just going to _leave_ like I don’t give a shit? Who does that?”

Aomine was silent. Kagami’s chest was heaving, and his face was red. Aomine put his hand on one of Kagami’s wrists, detaching it from his shoulder. “That’s why you should go,” he said. “It’s you Mako’ll be gunning for if he comes back. We always-” and the words tasted like ashes in his mouth. “I always knew. Someday you’d have to go back. You don’t belong to people like us.”

Kagami stepped back, his mouth working: there was something raw in his face, and Aomine dropped his gaze. Kagami touched his pendant, under his clothes.

“I’m not going,” he said. “I don’t- I don’t give a crap what Tatsuya says. Or Alex, or Shin. I especially don’t care that some fucking bloodbender, or some random crazies, are going to be gunning for me. You were half dead and _you_ kicked his ass, for Yue’s-” he cut himself off.

“When I go back, it’ll be because _I_ want to,” Kagami said. "Not because anyone is making me. Not because of anything someone else thinks."

“What if I said it,” said Aomine. When. “Told you to get out of here.”

“Fuck you,” said Kagami. “I fed you breakfast this morning, you ungrateful moron.”

“You snore and your face is stupid,” said Aomine. A hitched breath escaped Aomine’s mouth, which horrified him. He hadn’t added his own fear, so deep and so old: that some day Satsuki wouldn’t want him either. That she could do better than the weirdo orphan washed up on the beach who’d dragged her halfway around the world for no damn reason.

Kagami glared. “ _Your_ face,” he said. “I’m not leaving until I’m good and ready.”

“Fine,” said Aomine. “Look, just up this ladder here, we’ll be two blocks down from the east farmer’s market.” And until then, Aomine would be ready, too.

Kagami seemed to calm down digging through produce for the good stuff, which Aomine thought was weird, but whatever.

“Who’d you think was watching the Arena, anyway?” Aomine said, while pushing Kagami away from the overpriced yams.

“What,” said Kagami absently. “Do those look like cheese buns?”

“Who did you think was watching the Arena,” repeated Aomine patiently. “It’s not like we had to dodge that lieutenant, he said he wasn't coming back today.”

“No, _what_ was watching us,” said Kagami.

“That’s what I’m asking you!” snapped Aomine.

“No, I mean-” a shadow fell over them. Aomine paid no attention, assuming it was just a cloud or a passing bison, but then the shadow darkened and thickened, spreading around them.

He looked up.

A dragon descended from the sky, effectively stopping all passing traffic. Aomine’s mouth dropped open: it was way bigger than an air bison, stirring up puffs of wind as it landed. Red and gold all over, it leaked steam from it’s gigantic nostrils.

Aomine grabbed Kagami’s arm. “A dragon!” he said. “I’ve always wanted to see one!”

“That,” said Kagami, who didn’t seem excited at all. In fact, he sounded… resigned. “That was what I thought was watching the Arena.”

“Uh,” said Aomine.

The dragon’s rider disembarked from its back. As his shining boots hit the pavement the dragon nosed at his hair for an affectionate moment. He patted its flank and it launched itself back into the air in the direction of Air Temple Island.

"Taiga," Commander Akashi of the United Forces said. “I sent word I wished to see you.”

“Yeah, that’s why I left the apartment,” said Kagami.

“Attic, do you mean?” said Akashi, his tone glacial. “Hole?”

Aomine had seen pictures of him from the papers Tetsu brought back to the attic, and in person, the eighteen-year old Commander was easy to recognise. He was no Kise, but black and white photos hadn’t managed to convey the intensity of those clear Fire Nation eyes over icily aristocratic features, currently set in a frown that was moving a street full of bystanders that had frozen for the entrance of a dragon all by itself.

He was dressed not in Fleet regimentals, but civilian attire of grey, black and brown, which seemed pointless because it was just as sharp, stern and severe as his uniform would have been. He looked completely humourless, standing in the middle of the road blocking their path, his arms folded. And Aomine had, uh. Expected him to be taller.

“What do you want?” said Kagami.

“Is that how you speak to me, Taiga?” said the Commander.

“What do you want, _sir_ ,” said Kagami.

The Commander’s face did not move a muscle. The only outward hint to his irritation was the way his eyes flashed, like a sky full of storm clouds.

Aomine nudged Kagami. "Uh," he said. "What does the Fleet Commander want with you?"

They both stared at him.

Akashi raised an eyebrow. “Is this the criminal you’ve taken up with?” he said, his voice tight. “Pardon. Is this the _latest_ criminal?”

Kagami gave a short, bitter laugh. “What,” he said to Aomine. “You don’t see the family resemblance?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three years of my life have literally led up to this moment.
> 
> I really don’t know what to tell you guys I think it has been sort of crazy obvious all along.
> 
> \o/


	3. Chapter 3

The hangar where the Hawk was kept in drydock had once been one of the best places in the world for Takao, but now, every visit just reminded him that instead of enjoying some well-deserved shore leave until the Hawk was refitted and ready for launch, he was permanently removed from her roster and she was classified as in retirement, and if the top brass got their way, neither of them would ever serve again.

That was depressing.

The hangars seemed less crowded than usual, with the removal of the airships attached to the ships in the _Victory_ ’s convoy in preparation for her departure, until Takao crossed a pile of boxes and beheld the _Hammer_ , one of the personal airships belonging to the Murasakibara fleet. It was painted in their family colours of purple and green, and built for speed and comfort. The Murasakibara clout must have gotten it into the Fleet hangars for a top-speed check-up, since Takao couldn't see anything wrong with it and couldn't imagine someone attacking a Murasakibara without inciting a civil war.

His poor Hawk looked like a rowboat next to it, hanging in her traces with rust and gunpowder stains on her balloon, but six months ago Takao would have bet her speed in the sky against anything short of a dragon in full flight. At least this time she didn't have her engines spread all over the floor, though maybe that was because the Hammer took up so much damn room there was no space for anything else. 

"Takao!" Tae hailed him from the landing. He lifted his hand and waved to her. It was nice to have a hookup among the mechanics. And for other things, obviously. “I have your stuff!” she called. “My brother says you owe him big-time for this.”

“All that money for the rush job wasn’t enough?” Takao said. “‘sides, it was Shin-chan, not me.”

“He was up _all night_ ,” said Tae, coming down the stairs. “He says he blames you for introducing that j-e-r-k to him.”

Takao sniggered. “Can’t be helped,” he said. “Ootsubo-san does good work. Midorima recognized that.”

Tae nodded, full of pride in her elder brother. “I’ll be right with you, I’m just waiting on that,” a wave of her hand indicated the Murasakibara airship. “He said he’d be out soon.”

Takao nodded and made small talk with Tae- about the job it had been rushing around with the dignitaries leaving after the conference, about most of the senior mechanics still being out going over the _Victory_ so it would be ready to leave at the drop of a hat, about how Miyaji-san really, really needed to get laid, he'd been super touchy lately- until the hatch at the bottom of the _Hammer_ ’s cabin opened.

Murasakibara Atsushi swung down from the cabin- he was so tall it was more of a drop than a jump- and walked towards them, cleaning his hands on his shirt. It was already covered in oil stains and dirt, but Tae and Takao both winced.

Tae came from a tailoring family; she would have a much better sense of what Murasakibara's clothes cost than anyone here. Takao had picked up things from the rich kids he had met in his short but beautiful time as a commissioned officer. He now owned two, maybe three nice shirts, and none of them anywhere near as nice as that one. To add insult to injury, Takao had counted and the youngest Murasakibara was even younger than Shin-chan, only fifteen this year.

"Tuning's okay," Murasakibara said to Tae. "Call in the cleaners again for the engine rooms."

Tae summoned a tight smile and nodded, which turned into something much more genuine when Murasakibara admitted, "Output values higher than ever without adjustment, the installation went really well. Our parts would be better though."

"Well, when your family starts manufacturing those parts, you send them to me and I'll be sure to put them in," said Tae.

Murasakibara sniffed and started towards the _Hawk_. “You said you put the same kind of engine in this one,” he said. “How’s it look?”

"That's a different prototype-" started Tae, then winced as Takao looked at her.

He put his hands up, fighting to smile. “Sorry, is this top-level secrets?” he said. “Should I go?”

Murasakibara looked at Takao, finally registering that he wasn’t a mechanic here, probably because the Lieutenant looked, and had endevoured to stay, clean.

“You probably wouldn’t understand it anyway,” he said.

“I used to fly that thing, you know,” said Takao, stung. “I know my way around an engine.”

Murasakibara looked at the _Hawk_. “That thing can still fly?” he said.

Takao’s eyes crossed. This spoilt rich brat- “If I could still fly it,” he managed. “Tae, I think I’d better just get my stuff and go, Shin-chan will be wondering where I am. The Commander asked for this personally, after all.”

“Oh, you work for Akachin,” said Murasakibara, successfully one-upping Takao without even trying. Then he lost interest, walking towards the smaller airship.

“Give me a moment, Takao,” Tae said. “Murasakibara-san, you can’t touch it without clearance, okay? We’re not even sure of the full details here, you shouldn’t- there he goes.” She threw up her hands as Murasakibara hoisted himself into the _Hawk._ “It’s been like this since the Hammer came in. If I only had to deal with people who worked for him, it wouldn’t be so bad.” She gestured for Takao to follow her and walked towards the back of the hangar. “He references things even the head mechanics haven’t heard of yet and they _all_ can’t stand him.”

“Ha!” said Takao. That sounded familiar.

Tae dug the bundle of clothes out from her locker. “Here you go,” she said. “Taisuke said he didn’t know if they’d all work out as complete outfit but at least he managed to have the coat, the pants and a few shirts altered in time.”

“Great, great,” said Takao.

Tae laughed. “He said he worked so hard on these- oh, Takao, it was so funny- that these would be clothes fit for a prince!”

.0.

The hole in the wall that Mitobe’s family ran probably wasn’t the best place to interrogate mysterious strangers, but since it had a private room, nominal free flow of rice crackers and Hyuuga was mostly certain that no one could listen in on them there over the sound of Mitobe children numbers 6-9 yelling at each other, it had won by default.

Riko crossed her arms. “So,” she said. “You know Teppei?” She didn’t look her usual self; she hadn’t been sleeping. Riko had been pretty torn up about having Kiyoshi in a jail cell- not to mention that Hanamiya Makoto, who had kidnapped her before, was on the loose, _again_ , and it was no wonder she was holding on with her teeth. Her father had warned her that she’d long ago decided not to be involved in his politicking, which left her gnashing her teeth and chasing down the police captains between being debriefed by Fleet Officers.

“Is it true he’s one of the Mukan?” said Hyuuga, interrupting Reo’s reply. “Aren’t they just some hippy radical group out in the Earth Kingdom? What does that have to do with us?”

“The world does not begin and end in Republic City,” said Reo. “Though I appreciate that it can seem that way.” He turned away from Hyuuga and gently addressed the rest of the group. “A lot of what you’ve heard is most likely exaggerated or untrue. We aren’t all crazy environmentalists, and we’re not murderers and saboteurs.”

He looked around at all of them, his eyes liquid and warm.

“What is true,” said Reo, “is that Teppei used to be one of us.”

Hyuuga tried to relax the tense muscles in his jaw before his teeth shattered and he was forced to drink Riko’s curry for life. Kiyoshi. This was for Kiyoshi, with his stupid smile and his sharp eyes, and that way he had of packing himself away as though he didn’t matter. “We figured it might be something stupid like that.”

Not true, Mitobe felt. They had always believed in Kiyoshi.

“He left us over a year ago,” said Reo. “He joined because- well, you’ve all heard of the Bonsai project?”

“A giant mess?” said Hyuuga.

“An undertaking by a coalition of Water Tribe, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom plutocrats,” said Izuki thoughtfully. “They were going to create new cities out in the deserts, to build the infrastructure of the future today. Resources would be…” He looked at Reo. “Extracted with more efficiency and less environmental impact than ever. It was the future.”

“Yes,” said Reo, holding his gaze. “It was going to be a lot of things.”

Koganei crossed his arms. “But that project ran into a lot of problems, right?” he said, screwing up his face. “Terrorist attacks, equipment failure, spirit raids, strikes, bandit attacks, natural disasters…”

Riko shifted. “Dad would complain about those problems,” she said, her voice distant. “Things that never made it into the papers. Money went missing on automatic, gains just… never materialised.”

“The losses rarely made it into the papers,” said Reo, letting steel into his voice. “People driven out of their homes, criminal oversight and negligence, so much corruption that it could have been straight out of the days of old Ba Sing Se… and all outside the boundaries of the known Earth Kingdom jurisdictions, so no one would ever see justice done. Teppei and I… connected, because we thought we could make a difference.”

“Then let me guess,” said Riko. “When it came time to making a difference, things got more and more different, until… until what, Uncrowned?”

“Something like that,” said Reo. “As the movement grew, Teppei began to feel that he couldn’t stay true to himself and to our spirit.”

“But you do?” said Izuki.

Reo looked down. “I’ve seen… more of the world since then,” he said. “It’s not pretty, and it’s not nice. But things have to be done, anyway. I respect Teppei for his choices and his determination- but they’re not my choices, just like my choices aren’t his.” He looked up, and his eyes met Hyuuga’s. “Regardless, believe me when I say that I’m here much more on Teppei’s behalf than ours.”

Hyuuga pulled his gaze away and snorted comprehensively. Pull the other one.

“Teppei was one of the core- no, one of the _founding_ members of the collective,” said Reo. “His fame made him a target. We… have our own contacts, in Republic City. They think that he still knows something about us. They think they can get him to sell us out if he’s… encouraged appropriately.”

“Torture,” said Riko cooly. “You think they’ll torture Teppei to find out what he knows about the Mukan.”

“It’s a possibility,” said Reo. “Commander Akashi is not a forgiving man, and it’s well-known that the Fire Nation has been calling for greater force in dealing with their detractors for years, led by the Firelord. It’s a pity, when I think about what a lovely boy Sei-chan was.”

The silence that ensued was just awkward enough that Reo was able to shake himself out of his reflective silence- jangling as he did so- and lay out a simple plan for removing Kiyoshi from harm: find him and break him out.

“And then we escape Republic City,” said Reo. “On my _Beauty_.”

“Aren’t the authorities watching the harbour?” asked Izuki. “That was how they almost trapped the smuggler’s ships which Hanamiya escaped on, wasn’t it?”

“They might well be,” Reo allowed, but he smiled, a rueful, wicked, charming smile, which Hyuuga instantly distrusted. “ _Beauty_ is up in the mountains and can outfly anything the fleet currently has in service. Skeleton crew, all my best men, and I work on her myself.” He bit his lip. “But we’ve heard that _Victory_ will be leaving Republic City soon, which is going to be our best opening. The longer we wait, the more trumped-up charges they’re going to bring against Teppei.”

“And, again,” said Hyuuga. “You’re just doing all this out of the goodness of your heart.”

Reo looked at Hyuuga, and Hyuuga was confronted with the disquieting sense that he wouldn’t even know if this guy was lying to him. “I think it’s a crying shame that they’d imprison a man like Teppei for a crime he didn’t commit,” said Reo, quietly.

Mitobe stirred. He wanted them to help him? Was that why he’d approached them?

“I thought that you might be able to,” Reo corrected them. “But not the way you’re thinking. I was hoping to pick up information, background on Teppei’s activities. We already have a plan. Involving normal citizens isn’t part of it. As far as I’m concerned, you’re not involved at all.”

Hyuuga twitched.

“Frankly,” Reo added, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “You would just get in our way.”

.0.

Since Kise was still on some kind of bullshit lockdown, Tetsu had vanished into thin air, and Kagami had gone with his brother who knew where, Aomine had been stuck with finishing the shopping by himself and then wandering back to an attic with only Nigou in it. He was staring at the ceiling thinking about maybe having to get up and cook for himself when there was a noise. Aomine sat up. Kagami had some nerve just leaving for hours like-

The attic windows rattled as Kise clung to the outside of the building trying to get inside. The latch, never too steady, finally gave way, and Kise, grumbling vivid obscenities, climbed in.

“What,” said Aomine, lying back down. “It’s you.”

Kise looked wounded. “Aominechi, we haven’t seen each other in a week!” he said. “That’s all you have to say to me?”

“Keep the window open, it’s stuffy in here,” responded Aomine. He sat up again and stared in disgust as Nigou, who had watched the housebreaking with a complete lack of interest, threw himself onto Kise, licking his face and purr-yipping in pleasure.

Kise rolled his eyes, picking the lion-dog up in his arms and burying his face in Nigou’s thick mane. “Where’s Kagamichi?” he said. “Midorimachi said he was still enforcing bedrest on him.”

Aomine scowled. “He got called out by his brother.”

“Ah,” said Kise. He held Nigou a little tighter, thinking it over while the lion-dog panted happily. “You... met him?”

“Yeah,” said Aomine.

“Are- are you okay?” said Kise, climbing up the frame to peer at Aomine’s face.

Aomine contemplated this question.

“What the hell is his problem?” he said, finally.

Kise flopped himself down on the rolled-up sleeping pad. “I don’t know,” he said. “He’s a bit- Akashichi is- intense.”

Aomine grunted.

“Kurokochi left me,” Kise said, as though Aomine cared. “I thought he would be here, I asked Midorimachi and he said that he hadn’t seen Kurokochi since he left him this morning. He just left me there! He didn’t say goodbye or anything.”

“Maybe he was sick of being on that stupid island,” said Aomine. He was sick of being in this stupid room.

Kise slumped down and said, “Maybe I missed him and left him on the island.”

Aomine snorted. It was possible, just not likely. “Then he’ll be back at night like usual.” Tired as usual, and close-mouthed about what was going on with Aida and Kiyoshi, with Satsuki and with Kise. Kise tickled Nigou’s stomach and Nigou let him until the lion-dog rolled over and began to growl.

Kise lunged off the sleeping platform and grabbed for his glider. Aomine went absolutely still. Nigou wasn’t facing the ladder, there wasn’t more water in the attic than the stale bucket of water in the corner-

Huge wings flapped, blocking out the sun from the windows facing the bay. The dragon from this morning landed on the Arena, shaking the whole building.

“NOT ON THE ROOF,” they heard Kagami roar, but the dragon’s only answer was to snort steam and lean over to look through the window, tapping on the glass with it’s long curving claws until Kise walked over and pushed it open. “Raku!” said Kise, sticking out his head.

Long coils shifting and making the roof creak alarmingly, the dragon let Kagami down and he climbed into the attic with Kise’s help.

Kagami patted the dragon’s snout and said, “Go away, traitor.”

Kise waved to the dragon. “Bye Raku!” he said. “Say hi to Akashichi.”

Aomine and the dragon snorted in unison, and the building shuddered as it launched and flew away.

Kagami snarled an inarticulate noise, walked over to the bucket, and stuck his head in, raising a cloud of steam. He sat back on his heels and wiped the water off his face with his shirt.

“Bad day?” said Kise sympathetically.

“How’d you stay with him a year and not kill him?” said Kagami. “No, I mean, kill yourself.”

“It would probably be easier to kill myself,” said Kise. “I thought you were hiding from him- I mean, if he knew where you were before this, why did he-”

“Raku always knows where I am,” said Kagami. “It’s how he found me before. I can’t believe he had Alex bring him from the mountains just for this.”

“Before?” said Kise.

Kagami looked resigned. “We’ve had this fight before,” he said. “I’m not going back.”

Yet, thought Aomine. “Get something cooking, then,” he said. “I’m hungry.”

“Have you just been sitting here all day waiting for someone to feed you?” said Kagami, exasperated.

“Maybe,” said Aomine. He was kind of uncomfortable, now that he thought about it. He climbed off the sleeping platform and checked the bucket to see if there was still water left to wash his face in.

“I can only make something really quickly then I have to go,” said Kagami. He looked sideways at Aomine. “I just came back to say I’ll be out the rest of the evening.”

Aomine stared back.

“Doing what?” said Kise.

“The thing to close out the conference party schedule tonight,” said Kagami. “Alex is going to be there.” They both stared at him. He took a deep, calming breath. “That asshole is threatening to cut off my accounts if I don’t go back.”

Aomine thought about that. “Fuck him,” he suggested.

“He also wants to throw you guys into jail,” said Kagami, “I mean, I don’t- shit,” he said, cutting himself off. “Alex thinks he’ll calm down a little if I show up and play nice for a couple of hours. I don’t know. But I might as well try it.”

“I can go too,” said Kise. “I mean, I have a standing invite to all these things, I can be there. We’ll go together.” He looked at Aomine, jerking his head meaningfully. “I bet we can get plus ones, you’re only royalty. Aominechi can come too!”

“I can’t go, I don’t have anything to wear to your stupid party,” Aomine protested, still caught up in wishing it was easy to walk away. Then his brain processed the rest of it. “What? What?”

“There’ll be food!” said Kise. He crouched next to Aomine, and put his arm around the waterbender. “Master Alex is way hot, too- she’s a really great firebender, she’s who they wanted to teach me before Akashichi stepped in. She taught Kagamichi, right? I bet you’ll love meeting her. And she has got boobs out to-”

Kagami rolled his eyes and grabbed the bucket. “I’ll fill this up and leave a note for Momoi and Kuroko,” he said. “We can deal with the clothes thing.”

“He should cut us loose,” said Aomine, once Kagami was down the ladder. “He should just go, and we wouldn’t-”

“No, Aominechi,” said Kise. “This isn’t- how much do you remember about the night in the cove?”

“There were bloodbenders,” said Aomine. “Everything hurt a lot. You went all glowy and Mako got away on the back of an Air Bison.”

Kise hesitated. “Yes,” he said. “But he also- there’s reason to believe that Kagamichi might be a target for being the prince. Akashichi might just want Kagamichi safe while he-”

Aomine cut him off. “What do you want,” he said, tiredly.

“He’s the one who needs to be taken care of,” said Kise softly. “He’s the one who has to be watched. Not a lot of people even know who he is or what he looks like, but now that Hanamiya asshole does, and he’s still out there. I’m going away soon, so it’s all on you. You have to look out for Kagamichi, while I’m not here.”

.0.

Kagami held out the scarlet silk coat, gorgeously embroidered with flame patterns in black and gold. "This is what you want me to wear?" he said. "Why don't you just put a sign saying 'fire nation royalty' on my back and send me out wearing that?"

"That would lack subtlety," said Midorima, looking put out. "Besides, anyone can wear dragons and red clothes."

"Ascending dragons, the trailing ash pattern and so much gold thread someone could metalbend this?" Kagami squinted. "And the collar on this shirt cut so that everyone can see my necklace, that's classy. That's real classy."

"It was the best we could come up on short notice," said Midorima, crossing his arms. "You may not be aware, but you are unusually tall and it is often difficult to find clothing suited to your size."

"You're taller than I am," pointed out Kagami. “How’re yours?” He called to Aomine. “See anything you like?”

“I can’t believe you’re giving a criminal access to my wardrobe,” muttered Midorima.

“I can’t believe you ratted me out to _him_ ,” said Kagami.

“I can’t believe you’ve got all this money and your clothes are so boring,” said Aomine. “How’s this?”

Midorima looked scandalised. “Those are underclothes,” he said. “You’re supposed to wear them UNDER full trousers!”

“You’re wearing striped fur with a green shirt and orange buttons,” said Aomine.

Midorima swelled in indignation. Kagami rolled his eyes, swapped his white shirt with the black one Aomine had picked out, and said, “Go put it on and see,” ending the argument.

“I don’t have a dressing room, he’ll have to change here,” said Midorima.

“You people have rooms just for putting clothes on?” Aomine said, as sarcastically as he could manage. It wasn’t much, given that he couldn’t stop stroking his fingers over the fine material and tiny stitching.

It was so… so _nice_. Aomine was getting better about not having money, but he still couldn’t believe that Kagami had given this all up and didn’t seem to care if he never got any of it back. Midorima talked as though he was only temporarily tolerating these circumstances- the fanciest house Aomine had ever been in- out of necessity and considered the attic a festering rathole; on the way over Kagami had kept on saying ‘after this’, as though he holding onto going back to the attic tonight as a lifeline.

“He is worried, you know,” said Midorima, quietly, as though Aomine was deaf or something.

“Yeah, worried it’s going to leak out that there’s no heir,” said Kagami. “Worried- sorry, _concerned_ \- they might actually have to talk about me in public.”

“Of course they’re concerned, do you have any idea some of the rumors that have claimed to have the second Fire Nation Prince at the center of them? Or someone masquerading as one?” said Midorima. “Obviously you wouldn’t be scamming villagers or stealing from wealthy idiots, but do you think the public knows that? Do you think someone who wants to attack you will know or care?”

“He’s tried that line on me before,” said Kagami. “He only cares now that it’s about his reputation. People don’t even know who I am, how can they come after me?”

“He’s worried about your safety,” said Midorima. “He doesn’t want you hurt or dead, can’t you at least accept that?”

“That’s not the same thing as giving a damn about me,” said Kagami. “Keep your nose out of it.”

“Fine,” said Midorima, picking up his inexplicable box of pickled herring. “I’ve only known both you unreasonable firebenders for fifteen years, I’m sure I have no input here.”

“So am I,” said Kagami, with an air of finality. “Aomine, you done?”

“Guess so,” said Aomine. Kagami did not have his life together. “How’s it look?” He’d picked out soft white pants, very simple, and tried on the white shirt Kagami rejected. It really did cut to a deep neck-revealing V, but Aomine was very proud of the choker he’d brought along to wear: a full set of Polar Bear Dog teeth, gleaming ivory. It wasn’t shiny or valuable, but it was his.

Kagami made a pleased noise. “That’s good,” he said. Aomine tried to look at Kagami as a stranger would, size him up too, but he still looked like Kagami, even in black and red and gold.

“You look like a poorly-made snowman,” said Midorima, ruining the moment. He frowned, leaning in to examine Aomine’s choker. “Is that-”

“Yeah,” said Aomine, shrugging. “Hunted it myself prowling around the village a few years ago. Sold the fur, but kept the teeth.” That money had bought Satsuki her battle-fans, beautifully sharp metal in silk sleeves.

Midorima hmmed. “Not bad,” he said, grudgingly. “Lieutenant Takao will be coming around soon, we should be ready.”

“You bring him everywhere?” said Kagami.

“If he’s going to spend his time following me around, he might as well make himself useful,” said Midorima loftily. “He’s getting us a car.”

Aomine perked up. He liked cars.

“It’s down the street,” said Kagami. Kagami was a spoilsport. “We could walk there faster than we’d take to climb into the car.”

“It’s not at the embassy,” said Midorima.

Kagami closed his eyes. He gave off the strong impression of a man whose self-control was creaking under immense strain. Aomine wondered if Commander Akashi did the same thing, or the Fire Lord. “Where is it, then,” he said.

“The Republic City Four Elements,” said Midorima. “The Imperial Penthouse Suite.”

.0.

The party was in full swing by the time Commander Akashi entered the room.

He was accompanied by Master Alex Garcia and his ADCs for tonight, a non-bender whose sword belt dangled empty and a nervous firebender who looked like he was about to sweat right through his dress whites. The non-bender looked dead-eyed and the firebender looked about sixteen: Akashi couldn’t even be bothered to pretend to take the threat against his life seriously. Kise knew for a fact that they’d offered him a squad to escort him at all times.

“He’s just wearing his uniform,” said Aomine, disappointed. He had flat-out refused to pick up Nigou, sitting sadly by their legs, in case he got fur on his borrowed clothes.

“He always does,” explained Kise. “He doesn’t want special treatment because of his birth.”

Murasakibara’s friend, blue-eyed and beautiful, greeted Akashi gracefully as the Commander’s party disembarked from the elevators. Akashi, usually polite to a fault, caught sight of Kise and swept right past his host, leaving the man to shrug and turn to greeting a barely dressed and very fashionable Alex Garcia.

“Yeah, if he never talks about it, no one would ever know,” said Kagami sarcastically. He picked up Nigou in one hand and took hold of Aomine with the other. “We’ll go meet Alex.”

“Watch the shirt,” said Aomine.

“That’s my shirt,” pointed out Kagami.

“Watch your shirt,” said Aomine.

Kise sputtered, watching them go. “Doesn’t Akashichi want to talk to you-” Akashi and Kagami passed by each other, backs straight, eyes front, as if the other wasn’t even there. “-guess not,” muttered Kise.

Akashi advanced on Kise and gave the younger boy a Look. It said, you are here, and I can’t throw you out the window, but You Will Regret This.

Kise twitched. “I- I-” he stammered.

“I’ve received a report from Officer Momoi about her part in the Red Monsoons incident and her account of meeting Taiga,” said Akashi. His voice conveyed absolutely nothing. He watched two tall figures in an alcove, Kagami eating steadily as he introduced Aomine and Nigou to Alex.

“Er, yeah,” said Kise. “He didn’t tell us who he was until later. They wanted to travel a bit, so we all went together! We couldn’t afford passage to Republic City on their savings, or to stay in the port, so he topped us up and told us where the money came from. Then we all came to Republic City and became the Lion-dogs.”

“Did you know his identity before that?” said Akashi.

"I guessed," said Kise. The Avatar raised his eyes to the Commander's, even though he topped his former teacher by a head. Kise couldn’t say why he’d suspected it, even before Kagami had emptied his accounts to bring them to Republic City. Kagami could have been any sixteen-year-old runaway firebender from a wealthy family, and it wasn’t like Kise hadn’t come across any fake princes, travelling the United Republic and Earth Kingdom with the _Victory_.

They didn’t even look alike.

“You didn’t tell me that you’d met Taiga in Kiyoshi Island,” said Akashi.

“You didn’t tell me your brother was travelling,” said Kise.

Commander Akashi almost appeared bored. You had to know him very well, which Kise was almost sure he did, to notice that he was furious. “You didn’t tell me when I returned that he was here and that you were brawling with him for money.” Ah. Yes, furious.

“I tried to tell you about our pro-bending team,” pointed out Kise. “You weren’t interested.”

“Don’t prevaricate,” said Akashi. “You had no intention of informing me that you’d had contact with Taiga at all.”

“I didn’t know you cared,” said Kise, recklessly, and Akashi’s eyes flashed at him. Kise took a big gulp of his drink and wondered which of them the hotel would charge if Akashi immolated him right here. “Not that it’s any of my business,” he mumbled, into the tangy fruit juice. “I mean, you could be talking to him right now, or you could have visited him while he was getting better, or in the attic, like Midorimachi did...”

Akashi’s eyebrow had lifted. “ _You_ are going to lecture me on brotherly feeling?” he said.

“When is the Victory leaving?” said Kise, feeling they were on shaky ground there. “I haven’t heard anything on the island, but I’m all ready to go whenever.”

"You are correct in one surmise," said Akashi, turning his head. Kagami had somehow dropped Nigou down Alex’s shirt, and the ADCs had been recruited to steady her and go down after him. "My and my brother’s affairs are no concern of yours. I am leaving tomorrow morning. You are not coming with me.”

Kise’s mouth fell open. “Because I didn’t tell you about Kagamichi?” he demanded.

“No,” said Akashi, witheringly. “I was never planning on bringing you. You would be too much of a target and a liability. It was a mistake for me to return to Republic City in the first place, I created this opening for them. When I bring the Victory back north, the fleet will stamp out all traces of the Mukan organisation, and they will go back to being a group of quixotic malcontents singing protest songs and staging hunger strikes. We don’t need you tagging along for that.”

Kise gaped. “But-” he said. “But I could help! You know I’m a target, you know they’ll want me too-”

The Commander looked deeply unconvinced. “If your best argument is that you’ll make a more desirable piece of bait, you might as well stay in Republic City and draw them into the arms of the police force and the remaining investigative members of the Fleet. Commander Shirogane will be returning with _Emperor_ as scheduled in the evening, and he will take over handling matters here.”

He flicked his gaze back over at Kagami. “I’ll deal with Taiga after that,” he said. “Feel free to continue making him- indeed, both of us- none of your concern.”


	4. Chapter 4

_Eight years ago_

 

One of the acclaimed features of the palace at the centre of the Northern Water Tribe were the great ice doors, remade every day in a new design by tribal waterbenders and artists, but Tetsuya, as he usually did, ignored them entered the palace through a side-entrance, much less grand, but more practical. He made his way to the family quarters for the royal tribe, nodding in greeting to palace inhabitants that he passed.

At least, those who noticed him. The palace was a flurry of activity, full to the brim with guests of state, and one little ten-year-old boy with a talent for self-effacement did not register very high with the servants and politicians.

This did not matter to Tetsuya. He knew exactly where he was going, and knocked confidently at Midorima-kun’s bedroom. He entered the bedroom only when his knocks went unanswered.

“Midorima-kun?” he said. “How are you doing?”

The waterbender, tucked into a mountain of furs, glared blearily in the direction of the blurry silhouette of the older boy. “Sick,” he said, his normally crisp voice thickened with phlegm. “As Master Tyo would no doubt have told you.”

“My grandmother’s news made me decide to come,” admitted Tetsuya. “She said you would be well after some bed rest, though.”

“Yes, I know perfectly well what the healer who treated me had to say about my case,” said Midorima-kun, mustering sarcasm. “Why are you repeating it?”

“Because after what happened,” said Tetsuya austerely, “I feel I am talking to a child who needs to be reminded of the wisdom of taking simple precautions when he has the charge of a young boy who looks to him for protection and safety.”

Midorima flinched, and half struggled out of his blankets.

“If you only came to-AH-AH-CHOO,” he sneezed, then, rather disconsolately, wiped his nose on a fresh handkerchief from the stack placed lovingly next to his head. “To- ugh- be mean to me, go away.”

Tetsuya regretted himself: Midorima-kun looked truly miserable. The younger boy stared at the white cloth bunched in his fist. “I should have been more careful,” he said. “But he begged to be allowed to come.”

Tetsuya’s heart was touched and he weakened further. “It was an accident,” he said.

“I should have left him in the nursery with my sister,” said Midorima-kun, ignoring this.

Tetsuya did not think that the Fire Nation prince, who had not looked much younger than Midorima-kun himself, would have tamely submitted to being relegated to the nursery with Midorima’s three-year-old sister, and said so.

“I should have stopped him,” said Midorima-kun tragically. “I should have.” He closed his eyes.

Tetsuya waited a moment to see if Midorima-kun had anything further to add, but it appeared that he had fallen asleep. Dutifully, Tetsuya tucked Midorima-kun more securely into his fur blankets, and smoothing Midorima’s hair, took his leave of the waterbender.

He wandered through the halls of carved ice, looking for the newly formed guest quarters.

They had been erected for the royal visit, and were far grander than the rooms Tetsuya has just left. Waterbenders had worked for weeks not just to build them, but decorate them with sweeping ceilings and beautiful carvings, sculpting fire out of ice. Midorima had talked for weeks, full of pride and self-importance, about forming the centerpiece for the Firelord's room himself. Tetsuya had seen his sketches for the ice creation: ambitious, difficult, and beautiful. 

Tetsuya was so occupied in admiring the corridor that as he turned, staring upwards, to see how the great dragons leaped across an ocean, he bumped into another boy about his age.

"Ah, I apologize," Tetsuya said, stepping back.

"No, I did not see you," said the other boy, just as politely. He was wearing red and gold, and had the Fire Nation look. He must have been one of the delegation; the son of one of the diplomats, perhaps.

"Could you tell me where to find Prince Taiga?” Tetsuya asked. He added, as the other boy looked at him without any expression, “if he’s not receiving guests, I understand.”

“Are you aware that Prince Taiga is ill?” said the other boy.

“Yes,” Tetsuya said. He hastened to give assurance that he hadn’t just wandered in on another nation’s royalty on a whim. “When he fell into the Spirit Oasis, Midorima-kun dragged him out with my assistance. And it was to my house and my grandmother’s attentions that we brought him.”

The Fire Nation boy nodded, his face relaxing. “I see,” he said. “I am going that way myself. I am Seijuurou. Taiga is my younger brother. I met your grandmother the other night when she was attending him.”

“Yes,” said Tetsuya, automatically obeying Seijuurou’s motion to fall in next to him. Then he blinked. He was in the company of Prince Seijuurou, the crown prince of the Fire Nation. Tetsuya had not thought to meet a Fire Nation royal without an easily identifiable topknot or the prominent golden headpiece; Seijuurou’s long hair was down and tied back.

The prince was talking: Tetsuya hastened to attend. “Thank you for your attention,” he was saying. “Taiga was sleeping last I looked in, and Master Tyo said he needed only bed rest and the utmost quiet.” A sudden, sweet smile flashed over his features, engaging, irresistible. “Nothing annoys and frets Taiga more than being constantly attended and watched over,” he said. “Master Tyo’s perspicacity is to be lauded.”

Tetsuya smiled at Seijuurou in turn. It felt impossible not to. “Except by his own brother?” he said.

The smile vanished off Seijuurou’s face. “Especially his own brother,” he said. “However, if his visitor is his rescuer, I am sure he will be happy to see you.”

“He is unlikely to remember me, he was very fast going into shock when we met,” apologised Tetsuya. “I came to offer Maruo’s apologies.”

“To apologize for… the polar bear-dog?” said Seijuurou.

“To assure him that Maruo did not mean him any harm,” said Tetsuya. He had been afraid of this. Midorima-kun did not much like Maruo either. Tetsuya had promised to look after Maruo, after Shige had moved away. “He’s very friendly, and very enthusiastic, but… very large.”

“I don’t doubt your dog’s friendly intentions,” said Seijuurou. “Taiga is afraid of all dogs, I’m sorry to say. He had an encounter with one of my father’s dogs when he was young.”

“Lion-dogs?” said Tetsuya. “Polar bear-dogs? Penguin-dogs? Dog-jellies? Beetle-dogs?”

“All dogs,” said Seijuurou. The curl of his mouth was not inviting, but he recovered his temper and smiled at Tetsuya. “I must apologize in my turn to the Moon and Ocean spirits for my brother's intrusion into their home, no?”

“Tui and La were not the least discomfited by his abrupt entry, I assure you,” said Tetsuya. “They’ve weathered far worse.”

“One fire nation assault after another,” murmured Seijuurou, dry. Tetsuya laughed.

Seijuurou rewarded Tetsuya for laughing with that surprisingly sweet smile, and opened the door to his brother's room.

Taiga’s bed, like Midorima’s, was buried under mountains of furs: unlike Midorima-kun, the prince had thrashed about restlessly and was dangling one arm over the side of the bed in his deep sleep, his small face flushed and sweating. Someone with a great deal of foresight had made the foundation of the prince’s bed stone, not ice: even now, as he turned in his uneasy sleep, the wall nearest to him dripped water.

Seijuurou frowned, fit to crack marble. “Excuse me,” murmured the prince.

Seijuurou took hold of Taiga’s sleeping gear and set his bed back to rights with heaves of effort. As he did so, Tetsuya, feeling a little ill-at-ease, occupied himself with examining the ice sculpture created to decorate this room.

The ocean scene with flying cat-fish was nowhere near as elaborate as the scale model of the Fire Nation palace made for the Fire Lord, but Tetsuya thought he detected Midorima-kun’s taste for precision in the leaping waves. He looked back to see that Seijuurou had restored his brother to some order, tucked him back in, wiped down the worst of his sweat, exchanged one cold towel for another (rapidly steaming on the younger boy’s head) and was holding that small hand, so piteously outstretched, in his.

“I am very sorry,” said Tetsuya.

Seijuurou looked at him as though he had trouble recollecting why Tetsuya should so presume to intrude. “Oh,” he said, tucking Taiga’s arm back into the furs. “No. It was an accident. Shintarou gave me a full account and also takes the blame squarely upon his own shoulders. If the fault lies with anyone, it is with me. I was too preoccupied with the meetings and sessions to fulfill my promise to take him around the city on a private excursion. Shintarou was kind enough to take him out of the palace for a small outing to a holy site, nothing more.”

He looked a bit like he would have liked to take hold of Taiga’s hand again. He did not.

“Your father-” said Tetsuya, then bit his cheek.

“Too busy with affairs of international importance,” said Seijuurou. “The opportunity to examine the Northern Spirit Portal, you understand, cannot be missed.”

Tetsuya, uncomfortable, kept silent. Since his younger brother was obviously in no state for guests, Seijuurou opened the door and showed Tetsuya out.

“Thank you for coming to see him,” said the prince. “If he had been awake, I’m sure he would have appreciated it.”

“Thank you for letting me in to see him,” said Tetsuya.

The smile once again touched Seijuurou’s face. “Certainly,” he said. “You saved him from drowning, after all.” He paused. “If you have the time,” he added, diffidently, “do you play pai-sho? Your grandmother honoured me with a game the other day. I usually partner Shintarou, but he is indisposed.”

The Fire Nation prince, ten years old like Tetsuya, had beaten Grandmother, a Grand Master of pai-sho, in nineteen moves. For the first time, he seemed to focus entirely on the water tribe boy, waiting for his reply.

“I would be honoured,” said Tetsuya. “Your highness- ah, I mean, Seijuurou-kun.” Tetsuya paused too, and smiled. “That- that would be nice.”

.0.

_Six years ago_

The light Alex saw through her eyelids was patchy, but this was nothing new. She heard voices murmuring and sensed movement, which she supposed was her so-called landlord No-Ear, even though she’d told him time and time again if he kept cleaning pointedly around her spot on the attic overhang she’d burn down his whole damn bar.

He never bought it, but then again, he let her sleep there for peanuts. And, crucially, he had no forwarding address and no interest in what she was doing, ever.

The murmuring got louder. Alex cracked open her eyes, although she didn’t know why she bothered. It wasn’t like she was going to see any better with them open.

She was looking at- she squinted. Two… kids?

“Hey,” said brat number one, who had red eyes.

“Excuse me,” said brat number two, who had blue eyes.

Alex blinked, and groaned. Obviously she’d been hit harder than she thought. That was what she got for fighting in an underground ring for the sake of no questions asked. If she closed her eyes, surely the hallucination would go away. Maybe the blood was already pooling in her brain, and she’d be dead soon.

“Hey, is she even alive?” said the red-eyed one.

“She’s breathing,” said the blue-eyed one, holding his hand over her mouth. “Master? Master, are you awake?”

Alex opened her eyes. “What did you call me?” she said.

“Master!” said the red-eyed one.

“We want you to be our sensei,” said the blue-eyed one.

“Listen,” she said. “I’m not a babysitter. And since you obviously can’t tell by yourselves, I’m going to tell you. I’m going blind, boys. It’s already affecting my bending. I got my ass handed to me by some loser. I’m no one’s master anymore.”

“But you’re the best!” said the red-eyed one. “We didn’t even know you were blind and you still fought so good! Until that last fight,” he amended. "But you could take him, I think."

“I can still see some,” said Alex. She sat up, igniting her fist. “I can see that you guys are sorry little brats, and if you keep bothering me, I’ll make you guys wish you were never born, _got it_?”

“Uh,” said the blue-eyed one. “We’re um. To your left.”

Alex sighed. “I know that. I can hear your annoying voices. This is a warning shot.”

“We won’t go!” said the red-eyed one. “I’m Taiga, and he’s Tatsuya. We want you to be our firebending master!”

Alex moved her arm and sent flames running all over the stone floor.

“WE’RE COMING BACK TOMORROW,” screamed the red-eyed one- Taiga- from the door that his friend had dragged him to, out of range of the fire. “YOU’RE _GOING_ TO TEACH US.”

“YOU’RE _GOING_ TO GET A FAT LIP, BRAT,” Alex roared back.

They came back the next day, and the next. They made a huge ruckus, cheering for her from the sidelines and screaming for her to vouch for them when they got thrown out for being little brats and making too much noise. They’d found out where she lived, and soon maximised their time with her by meeting her there every day and accompanying her to the slightly worse part of town the ring was located in. She learned they were brothers, but not really, only yes. Tatsuya was the brains of this operation, and Taiga was… she wasn’t sure, actually. She’d have to pay attention to them to find out.

She couldn’t get a single damn thing done, and every day she got less respect from the punks who turned up at the ring with her.

“Don’t you have _parents_?” she demanded of them.

“No,” said Tatsuya cheerfully. “I’m an orphan.”

“No one cares what happens to me,” said Taiga. “That’s why we’re brothers. We look out for each other!” He looked very serious. At least, Alex assumed. "That's what brothers do."

“Oh boo-hoo,” said Alex. “Go away.”

“No, no,” said Taiga. “Look, we worked out one of your moves!”

“I can’t see,” said Alex, turning away. Ignoring her, the boys moved in tandem and bent fire- a looping swirl of punches.

Alex paused. “It’s based on an airbender technique,” she said. “They form whirlwinds and keep them going by managing air pressure and maintaining a steady flow. You kids are doing it all wrong.”

“Woah,” said Taiga.

“How would you suggest we adjust our technique?” said Tatsuya.

“How should I know?” said Alex. “I’m not teaching you.”

“Maybe you can just tell us when we’re getting it wrong,” suggested Tatsuya. “Taiga, let’s try it again, for Alex-sensei.”

“You move _with_ the fire,” said Alex, before realising she’d been tricked, and the boys were now trying and failing to keep small firestorms alive in swirls before them. She sighed deeply, tucked her hand under her jacket, and went back to sleep.

The day they didn’t come, Alex did not notice. She was so occupied not noticing, in fact, that No-ear had progressed from making his witty comments on her turtleducklings and into making worried comments about her turtleducklings by the time she noticed that he was glaring at her as though he expected her to see it.

“What?” she said.

He sniffed. “Those boys are awful late today,” he said.

“Those boys should be at home,” she said. “With their lack of parents, dreaming blissfully of school and a productive future.”

He glared at her, and since Alex didn’t have to stand for this, she got up and started on her trek to the ring.

It seemed longer, somehow, without the boys at her heels.  _Damn_ , she was a soft touch in her old age.

Fire billowed out of a shopfront’s open door. This wasn’t unusual for this neighbourhood, and nor were the shouts issuing from the inside, threats and obscenities.

What was unusual, even to Alex’s jaded and failing eyes, was that some of that fire was a bright, brilliant blue.

Unable to resist, Alex took a look inside instead of hurrying away- to see Tatsuya trading blows with a couple of lowlifes twice his size, and Taiga scuffling with a woman who’d lifted him in the air and was pushing him against the wooden wall trying to gain purchase.

“Sensei!” Taiga cried, catching sight of her.

Tatsuya, teeth gritted, said a very bad word and got clipped with a fiery fist, sending him sprawling.

Alex hissed out steam and walked into the building, announcing herself with two long ribbons of flame.

The two men jumped back from Tatsuya and he rolled to line up with Alex, leaping up into a fighting stance at her side. “Taiga-” he said.

“I know,” said Alex. “Agni, this is why I told you kids to stay away from here!”

“Who the hell are you?” said the woman, backing up with the wriggling Taiga still held firmly.

“Put the boy down and give him over,” said Alex. “You’ve banged him up enough to teach him a lesson. Unless you mean to kill him, probably time to call it quits.”

“No!” said Taiga. “They stole something from us! We want it back!”

“They probably stole it first, anyway. We can get a reward for turning it in, and your names need never come into it,” the woman said. “That’s the best deal you’re going to get today, brats.”

“We didn’t steal it!” yelled Taiga. “We didn’t steal anything! That's ours! _You_ stole it from _us_!”

“Where’d street scum like you get like a thing like that?” the woman asked, scornfully. She patted a dirty pouch at her belt. “I bet you don’t even know what you’d get for it.”

“Burned alive,” said Tatsuya. “Alex, we’re not leaving without it.”

Alex could have kicked him herself. A brat like that, talking like he was a man.

“Who are you, anyway?” said one of the men.

“She’s a master!” spat Taiga. “She’ll destroy you.”

Alex tried to ignore him. They were edging towards a door at the back of the building, and there were three of them to contend with just Taiga now.

“I read about you!” said one of the men, snapping his fingers. “I _thought_ you looked familiar. You _were_ a master. But you got some eye disease, and healers in four continents couldn’t cure you. So you just upped stakes and vanished. You used to be feted by kings, and now you’re here in the gutter with us!”

“She’s a master!” Tatsuya said, fiercely. “She’s better than any of you!”

“The blind bender!” said the one who could, apparently, read. He brayed out a laugh. “Too bad you weren’t born an earthbender, Garcia! Maybe you could have been the next Toph!”

Alex breathed in, and let fire pour out of her hands.

“Ha, did that hit a nerve?” jeered the other man.

Ropes of fire. Control, control, _control_. It burned and didn’t burn, constant and clever. It breathed little tongues of flame out to lick their feet and faces, but as long as she kept control it would never burn out, and if they tried to cross it, it would cost them dearly.

Before the thugs even knew it, they were cut off. Tatsuya, flaring that unusual blue fire out of his fists, ran in and around Alex’s flames, exactly as she’d accidentally taught him. Without leverage, without escape routes, they had no choice but to try to square up to him- and lose hold of Taiga, who reacted incredibly fast.

Taiga twisted himself out of the woman’s grasp mid-air, scything fire down with his legs as he flipped out of her grasp. He landed and headbutted her in the stomach, stealing the pouch back as she gasped out her air and gasped in smoke. Tatsuya grabbed him and they ran back to Alex, slipping through the sea of flame she was controlling as though they’d been born to do it.

“I’m still a master,” said Alex, as a parting shot. She let the fire go out, abruptly. There was nothing burned, not even soot on the walls or floor. The three huddled together, blackened and in shock. “In the gutter or no. These kids are going to be the next Garcias someday, you know? Watch for them. They might come back for you.” No one tried to stop them leaving, and Alex heaved a sigh of relief.

On the way back Taiga hugged her suddenly, burying his face in her stomach. “You came!” he said. “You really came! I knew you were still really good. How did you do that? Will you show us how to _now_?”

Alex touched his hair, though hesitantly. Pouring out all that fire- for the first time in so long, she’d felt like she could _see_ again. And it had been true, what she’d said to the boys: she was a master, even now, even still. Always. She was the one who’d thought she could take it away from herself. “You boys really aren’t that bad,” she said. “Those were some nice moves. You could do with a lot of polish, though.”

Tatsuya, always the quieter one, laid his hand in the crook of her free elbow, and they held onto her until she brought them back to the bar.

“Hey!” said No-Ear. “You bringing trouble to my house, woman?”

“I brought you your damn turtleducklings,” returned Alex. “I thought you’d be worried about them.”

“I’m worried this dirt you’re tracking in is never going to come out, is what I’m worried about,” he said, but tromped quickly to the back to fetch his brawl kit.

“Here,” said Taiga, unwrapping the grimy package he’d fought so hard for and passing it to Tatsuya. “Tatsuya, keep it safe, okay?”

The trinket glittered as he passed it over, and Alex, her eyes widening, snatched it up to peer at it.

The golden flame of the Fire Nation glittered in her palm, its gleam unmistakable.

“Brats, where did you get this?” she said. She held it out of his reach. “Ah-ah! THE TRUTH.”

Taiga sounded mulish, dropping to his heels. “My family gave it to me. I gave it to Tatsuya. It’s his! GIVE IT BACK!”

“In my time, kid,” said Alex, collapsing on a stool. “Go get yourself wrapped up. If you die, I’m never going to hear the end of it from No-Ear.” Taiga’s eyes flashed at her- actually flashed, like he was some tough shit- but Tatsuya motioned firmly for Taiga to go, and the younger boy obeyed.

“Well?” she said to Tatsuya.

“It’s not mine,” said Tatsuya. “It really is Taiga’s. He gave it to me a long time ago, as a symbol of our brotherhood.”

“You mean,” said Alex, “that one of the princes of the Fire Nation, this country we’re currently in, right now, has been running around getting into fights on the street, sneaking into black market bending rings, and generally acting like the scruffy little hooligan he completely is?”

“Yup,” said Tatsuya, holding his hand out for the pendant.

“And you just let him do this?” said Alex, handing it back to him.

Tatsuya looked up at her and smiled, wry, sideways, as though it had been dragged out of his mouth on a hook. It made her heart hurt a little to see such a painful smile on such a young face. “How would I stop him?” he said. “He won’t go back to that fancy firebending school. He hates it.”

“There is that,” she said, and ruffled his hair. “I guess I’m a teacher now. I’m gonna need to find a dojo… and I’m going to work you brats until you drop.”

.0.

_Five years ago_

The spire of the tallest tower in the Northern Air Temple was technically off-limits to novice airbenders, not because people in general thought it was a good idea to try and forbid young benders to do anything, but because the winds channeled by the temple’s structure funneled out at the tops of the towers into roaring maelstroms, and at the centre tower strongest of all.

But of course, Ryouta was no novice. It was child’s play for him to ride navigate the wind currents up there, and after a tricky bit with a crosswind, Ryouta landed on the spire and crouched low- only to find someone else was already there. He glared at the interloper.

“This is my place,” said Ryouta. “Go away.”

“I don’t see your name on it,” said Shou, uncrossing his legs and picking up his glider. “What, no hello?”

Ryouta eyed him with great dislike. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the Eastern Air Temple?” he said.

“Rude,” said Shou, obviously enjoying himself. “Hello Ryouta. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I flew in with Shuu. The elders are all here clucking over you, so if we want to get anything done we need to toady on up here and see if they’re willing to detach their lips from your butt for one second to get some work done.”

Ryouta cringed. But if Shuu was here, then maybe... “What- what are you here to do?” he said, cursing the dry air this high up, but Shou ignored this question. His sharp eyes looked Ryouta over.

“Why’s your head shaved, anyway,” said Shou. “You look stupid. Are you hoping they’ll let you become a monk early?” He smirked. “Give up on the whole Avatar thing and skip straight to mummifying yourself in some cave looking for enlightenment?”

This, at least, Ryouta had an answer for. “I’m getting my tattoos,” said Ryouta, pulling his shoulders back with pride. Youngest in hundreds, if not thousands of years. “I passed the tests. They said I’m ready.” He cast a superior glance at Shou. Just because he was a few minutes older than Ryouta, he thought he was so great. “When are _you_ getting your mastery, again?”

Shou’s face twisted. “That’s not _fair_ ,” he said. “They only let you test out early because you’re the Avatar!” He surged to his feet. The wind picked up. “You passed a stupid test they probably rigged for you anyway, and _you_ get to be called a master? _You_ get to have your tattoos? You can’t even beat me in a fight!”

“That was a year ago!” said Ryouta. He got to his feet too, and had to plant himself to keep from being blown away. “I’m better now. I deserve it.”

Shou laughed, nastily. “Deserve it?” he said. “If anyone deserves it, it’s me. You’re not the only one who got better, Ryouta.” He flipped his glider up and raised it in a fighting stance.

Ryouta mirrored his action, then hesitated. The winds were still strong: too strong. If he opened his glider here-

Shou saw that moment of hesitation, and struck. Focused on the butt of his staff, the spike of air hit Ryouta in the gut and blasted him off the roof.

Ryouta fought the winds on his way down. He struggled with the catches on his glider, bending gushes to just keep himself from being impaled by a lesser tower, needle-sharp.

Shou leaped, laughing, and sent slashing air down at Ryouta’s falling body. He flicked open his glider and surfed it down, down, riding the path he’d cut open for himself.

Ryouta barely managed to snap open his glider and dive out of the way. Shards of paint and shrapnel followed him as the wind slashes sliced into the tower. Ryouta looked up and diverted Shou, batting his body to the side.

Shou landed on his feet, and whirling, kicked up the shattered roof tiles and threw them at Ryouta.

Ryouta smashed them with the glider, whipping the air around it. He finished the move by sending the whirlwind flying towards Shou, seasoned with fire. Looking contemptuous, Shou batted it aside and, ducking low, ran across the roof. He kicked Ryouta’s shin, destabilizing his stance, and hit him in the chest with the butt of his glider, sending Ryouta once again toppling off the roof.

Ryouta hit the treetops this time, struggling to catch his breath. Shou’s hit had _hurt_ , and every time Ryouta tried to breathe in, the pain made him gasp back out.

“You don’t _deserve_ anything!” said Shou, looking down on him, breathing hard. “You have all this power and you can’t even use it. You don’t even know _how_ to use it! The Avatar State? Bending all four elements? All you do is sit around looking pretty and doing what you’re told. If I had your power, I’d do whatever I wanted! And I’m stronger than you, so I can still do that. You’re weak, Ryouta. You don’t deserve to be the Avatar. I’d literally be doing the world a favour by killing you right now.” He raised his glider again.

Ryouta saw it coming and rolled sideways, dropping through the branches. They scratched at his face and he had to break a few branches, but the canopy of the tree-tops broke the momentum of Shou’s strikes, and they both hit the flat ground at the same time.

“You won’t kill me,” said Ryouta.

“Notice you don’t say _can’t_ ,” sneered Shou. They ran towards each other and their gliders hit, setting off dizzying blasts of air. They traded blows without either gaining purchase, struggling for leverage. Their gliders locked and Shou used his bigger size to press Ryouta back, his arms straining. Ryouta gritted his teeth, trying to find a way to break free.

“C’mon, Ryouta!” yelled Shou. “ _You_ can’t be afraid of dying. Nine months and there’ll be another you! Probably better-looking and a lot smarter!”

Ryouta’s back hit the rock, and he gasped and collapsed. Shou looked terribly, horribly triumphant as he shaped another razor-sharp wind on the tip of his glider, and raised it for the finishing blow.

“You’re _weak_ ,” he sneered, and brought his glider scything down- onto rock, raised by Ryouta’s raised fist.

Ryouta felt as though he had to control his body from a great distance, forcing his legs to stand, his arms to push himself up, and watching light spill over everything. He saw everything more clearly than he ever had before. He threw punches at Shou’s body, and each bolt of air struck the other airbender with more force than Ryouta had thought he could summon. He stomped- how did he know how to do this? He was only going to learn earth after water- and Shou tripped over rock, sprawling on the ground. Ryouta drew a swirl of fire in the air, and whipped both together until the fire went so hot it burned clear. It was time to end this, a threat to the Avatar, a threat to his life and world-

“ENOUGH,” thundered several voices at once, booming on the wind. Air began to rise around them, dissipating Ryouta’s fire, and whipping up dust, distracting him. Hands touched his arms and soothed him down, hands that Ryouta didn’t want to hurt, belonging to those who meant him no harm.

Someone leaped into the battlefield and dragged Shou away. Ryouta knew him. He did, didn’t he? The light was so bright. The light- the light-

The world went dark, and Ryouta fell forward onto his knees, his energy draining away. THe voices were draining away, too. Who-?

The last thing he heard, shouted over a storm of worry and concern and furor, was Shuu’s voice, raised at Shou, or at Ryouta, with all the authority of his sixteen years and a lifetime of ordering around younger airbenders. “-what the _hell_ you two were thinking, getting into a fight again! _Is this any way for brothers to act_?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this... what we call... misdirection?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And squeaking in under the radar, your last chapter of the month! I'm... going to pass out for a long while now.

Taiga jogged down the passage through the courtyards to the receiving hall, hoping he didn’t smell too much of unwashed dragon slobber to be barred entry. He’d seen Raku come into sight of the palace grounds and land, but by the time Taiga had left his ostrich-horse at the stables and climbed up to the landing platforms Seijuurou had been gone, leaving Raku to be taken care of by the guards who maintained the airstrip. It had to be something urgent- Raku had returned to the mountains once Seijuurou had enrolled in military school, instead of continuing to travel with him and Father. It would have been a lot more comfortable for Taiga’s brother to come home by one of the court or fleet airships. Raku had sniffed Taiga all over to make sure he was still in one piece, licked his face, and then gone back to his meal of mouse-deer.

He hadn’t seen Seijuurou in almost two years. Rumors had filtered back about his exploits, through Alex, who heard all the good gossip, and Shin, who wrote regularly, though mostly about boring things like his healing studies, astrology, and how annoying the Avatar was. Not content with being top of his year in studies, Seijuurou had even gotten involved in spirit attacks and hunting down air-pirates. Taiga couldn’t wait to hear all about it.

His steps slowed. If Seijuurou had come back to the palace in such a hurry, then Father was here too. It wouldn’t have been the first time that the Firelord returned home without summoning his second son to attend to him, but Father was supposed to be on the Eastern Rim, doing whatever it was he did on his long and endless trips away. The Firelord spent more time out of his country than in his home, and much less time than either on Taiga.

The chances that he would be ordered out of the receiving hall before he could see Seijuurou privately today had just risen to almost certain. Taiga didn’t have time to go back to his room, bathe and change. He just had to hope that Father would be-

As though summoned, a figure appeared on the far side of the corridor. He crossed the space towards Taiga in long angry strides.

“Sei-” started Taiga, then froze. Father would be formally welcoming his heir and favourite son, and making preparations for the court to gather and meet him too; Seijuurou would have just arrived and needed to rest after his journey. He was walking towards the landing platforms. He had a small travelling pack clenched in one angry hand.

Seijuurou noticed Taiga and changed course to meet him. They stared at each other. Seijuurou was both shorter and taller than Taiga had expected him to be. Taiga had grown even taller in the two years since they’d last seen each other, and still topped his older brother by a head. The older boy’s hair was cropped short in the Fleet style, shorn of the familiar topknot. Taiga rarely, if ever, bothered to put his hair up, since no cared if he did anyway. Seijuurou’s clothes were all in a utilitarian Republic City style, and for ornament he wore only the flame pendant of the Fire Nation and etched metal earcuffs. Seijuurou’s eyes were sharper, the line of his clenched jaw more defined, and he looked… he looked…

He looked, Taiga thought, more like Father than ever.

Taiga dropped his gaze. “You’re back,” he said.

“And you,” said Seijuurou. He twitched as though he was going to go in for a hug, then thought the better of it and straightened himself to his full height. “You’re still here.”

“I said I’d stay,” said Taiga, unable to avoid the topic. “It’s not… I have Alex, and Shin said he’s coming to the capital for his studies soon.”

“I know,” said Seijuurou. He kept looking at Taiga. The younger boy was very aware that the collar of his shirt hung open, exposing his bare neck. They never spoke directly of the incident, but Seijuurou had come home and stayed home for almost two months, leaving Father by himself: he had been deeply concerned and very angry. Taiga had not left the capital since then.

His older brother was very angry now, his eyes flashing. “What’s wrong?” said Taiga. “You only just came back, you’re-”

“I’m leaving.”

“What?” said Taiga. He fumbled for the words. “Was it an emergency? Are you going there now?” _When will you come back_?

“I’m leaving and I’m not coming back,” said Seijuurou, reading the words caught in Taiga’s throat. “I’ve spoken with Father. We disagreed. I am renouncing my position as crown prince, and I will not change my mind.”

Taiga’s mouth fell open. “You can’t-” he said. “Who’ll be Firelord after him? What happened?”

Seijuurou made a short, angry gesture, his mouth a furious twist. “I had an agreement with Father that while I was at school I expected to be allowed to live my own life. He has violated it, as far as I am concerned, for the last time.”

Taiga scrambled for an answer. “Then-” he said. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Taiga had thought about how to frame this moment a dozen dozen times, marshalling arguments which had all dropped away. “Maybe I can come with you, enroll like you did-” Every time he’d tried to write to Father about it, he’d received flat refusals from his secretaries, and the last few times, no response had even come, a sure sign that Father was tired of hearing about it.

“No,” said Seijuurou, his face flat and forbidding. “I don’t want you to come. You have no idea what it’s like outside the Fire Nation and the royal family’s protection: you wouldn’t be suited to the Academy at all. If there was a different- but there isn’t.”

This was not how it was supposed to happen. “You don’t want me to-” said Taiga. You don’t want me. You don’t want me. I told Tatsuya to leave without me, and you don't want me.

“That’s not what I mean,” said Seijuurou. He hesitated. He never hesitated. “When things are more settled, I can send for you- but I’m enlisting in the Fleet full-time after this. I won’t be able to take care of you.”

“You want me to stay here,” said Taiga. Stay in the Fire Nation, with the skeleton staff left in the palace who pitied him and nobles who whispered about him, without Tatsuya and without Seijuurou. You don’t want me.

“Yes,” said Seijuurou. “When you’re older, when you’re- when things are a bit different,” he said. “You can decide and I can be there.” But now, right now, you don’t want me. Will you want me when I’m different? Will you want me if I can change? He raised his hands to his own neck. Taiga watched with horror as Seijuurou unfastened his own flame pendant. The necklace hadn’t meant what it had meant to Taiga in a long time, but- but still- but-

Seijuurou held it out to Taiga, who took it automatically. “This is yours now,” he said. With the crown prince gone- with Seijuurou gone for good, that meant that Taiga was- was going to be-

“Father-” said Taiga. He felt sick to his stomach, he couldn’t believe that the palace wasn’t already alive with servants and courtiers coming to beg their golden prince to stay, that Father wasn’t coming to stop Seijuurou. But then, Father had never come to stop Taiga. “He won’t- he’ll never-”

Seijuurou’s eyes flashed. “He has no other choice.” He shouldered his pack. “We need to leave now if we’re going to reach the closest outpost before dark.”

Taiga stared dumbly at him.

“Raku,” clarified Seijuurou. He looked at Taiga again, and for a terrible moment Taiga thought that he was going to rescind everything he’d said, that he’d reach out his hand and bring his little brother with him, away from here, away from this. “Taiga- goodbye.”

Taiga didn’t respond. Seijuurou was already stepping past him, walking away, and Taiga did not turn to watch him go.

.0.

Aomine walked slowly up the beach path towards the village. All the preparations for the Avatar’s visit to Kiyoshi Island were well underway, but they meant that no one had gone out on the boats today, too absorbed in helping out at the village hall. Aomine had volunteered to go out and check over the boats just to get out of being assigned something even more boring to do, like helping the girls with their setpieces for their weapon demonstrations or making ice for the drinks. He could see Satsuki waiting for him at further down, probably kicked out before she could kill the Avatar by helping with the cooking of tonight’s feast. She’d had one of the early demonstrations, with her fans and shield. It must have gone well.

She wasn’t alone: one of the airbenders appeared on the path from the village, stopping to talk to her. Aomine snorted. Even with her face covered in the Kiyoshi Warrior warpaint, Satsuki attracted horndogs.

His bleached hair, more than the arrows on his arms and head, marked him as an outsider. Kiyoshi Village got a fair amount of Airbenders, mostly landing their bison for a rest coming in from or to the Southern Air Temple. The conveys, with more bison to take the wind head-on took a direct route farther east, where there were larger towns to rest and resupply.

The loners were usually dreamy wanderer types with all their worldly belongings on the back of one bison. One memorable weirdo had insisted on carrying all his bison’s belongings on _his_ back because he considered his bison his equal in everything in life. His bison spent a lot of time trailing anxiously after him worried he was going to pass out, but he had been an interesting guy.

This one didn’t look so nice. Satsuki’s back was stiff as he leaned over her, and Aomine quickened his strides before this could get ugly for the airbender.

“Look, come on, I bet you’re not bad without all that makeup-” he said. “Don’t be such a bitch, you’re not doing anything-” and he reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the face.

The smile froze on Satsuki’s painted lips. She grabbed his hand and then bent back his fingers,

“----, _no_!” she said. Aomine was only able to hear the last shouted word. She waited a moment to be sure he got the message then let him go. Satsuki glanced down the path and saw Aomine. She stood up to step away from the airbender-

He punched her in the stomach. Satsuki made a sound. Just a little one, crumpled and lost. Then she folded up. The airbender’s face was contorted with rage, he made to pick her up and keep going-

Aomine didn’t even remember moving. The landscape behind him withered in an instant, trees and grass giving up their internal water, and the torrent hit the airbender in the chest like it has been shot out of a cannon, thrusting him away from Satsuki. She was on her hands and knees, coughing and trying to get up; Aomine had almost reached her when a whirlwind struck the ground in front of him and he looked up to see that the airbender had recovered and was pointing his glider at them.

“Oi, oi,” he said. “That’s not friendly.”

“Friendly this,” snarled Aomine. He kicked the water on the ground up into the airbender’s face, and hardened the threads into shards of ice. They shattered on the glider’s guard, stray shards deflected by the trail of air.

“What, did I hit on your girlfriend?” the airbender said, spinning his glider to make sure he got everything. “Sorry, hit your girlfriend. But that wasn’t nice of her.”

He struck outwards with the heel of his hand and two twin funnels of air roared out towards Aomine, knocking him back and forward, bouncing him between them.

The airbender had forgotten about Satsuki, too focused on keeping Aomine hemmed in to notice her sneaking up on him. She kicked up, foot striking his chin and then his chest, and while he staggered, she hit his arm, hands blurring. The airbender fell backwards and kicked out, sending her back across the clearing and into the dust, clipping Aomine.

He stretched out the arm Satsuki had chi-blocked, trying to bend, failing to bend. "What the fuck did she do to me?" he said. "Is this that Kiyoshi Warrior chi-blocking bullshit?" He flung out his arm again, and again. “Fuck!”

As much as Aomine didn’t want to admit it, this could be the opening he needed. This guy wouldn’t pull his punches or even stop while they were still breathing; for all his light chatter, there was something ugly in his eyes. He tried to reach out and nudge Satsuki, who was visibly trembling. Any other day, she might have been carrying her fans, a knife, _something_ , but today all her gear was with her uniform back at the village, or she’d have produced something sharp by now and given this guy more to think about than a sore hand.

The airbender kept flexing his hand like he expected his bending to magically come back. Satsuki grabbed hold of Aomine’s arm and pulled him up, tugging at Aomine as though she was going to drag him away, as though she’d forgotten that he’d ever outgrown her.

The airbender passed his other hand over the affected area, gathering some kind of energy in his palm. Aomine couldn’t see it, but he could _feel_ it, like an ache in his teeth. The airbender flexed his fist, and Aomine dodged sideways, but the whip of wind missed him by a mile.

“Ha!” he said, face grinning, eyes glowing, as though what he'd just done wasn't impossible. What the hell was that? _What the hell was that_? “Works both ways, morons. You’re going to regret running into me.”

“You’re the one who bothered us!” cried Satsuki. She was breathing deeply to control her pain, circling them trying to find a good advantage. If she could get around him, the village was only a short run away, with the Avatar and some other master airbenders visiting, the Kiyoshi Warriors armed to their lipsticked teeth.

“Don’t you think you’re the ones overreacting?” he said. “Keep moving, by the way. You won’t like it, but go on.”

Satsuki paused and kept her eyes on him. “Leave her,” Aomine said. “I’m the one you want. I’m going to wipe the floor with you, asshole. If the Avatar comes down, he’ll be saving your ass, not mine.”

The airbender lifted his lip in a snarl. “Ryouta? He couldn’t save a leaf in a puddle with the Avatar State on. I can take him, and I can take you.” He sprang forward. The glider smacked into Aomine’s liquid guard and Aomine ripped that stupid stick of his hands, sending it spiraling away out of reach.

The airbender punched him in the face. Aomine reeled and struck out with pellets of ice, and felt some of them rebound off the airbender’s shield of air. The airbender followed by kicking Aomine in the side, in the gut, and there wasn't enough water, Aomine had nothing to defend with or attack.

Aomine’s _wrong_ feeling intensified. He grappled with the airbender, trying to force him down, get loose to hit him, but couldn’t get free. Aomine was kicked again, and again, and went down.

Fuck, that hurt so much.

Then Aomine felt hands at his neck, holding him down, on his forehead.

The world went white, and then black, and then-

_darkness, a single spot of light filtering down_

_down_

_down_

_down_

_down_

_down_

_up_.

Aomine had fallen forward into his face, and his eyes hadn’t even closed, he’d just… stopped being able to see through them. There were still white spots, blinding, flashing over his vision, but he could see that the airbender had his hand to his mouth and was blowing into a whistle shaped like an air bison. He had a new bruise on his face, the size of Satsuki’s fist, and must have decided to cut his losses and get out of there. Satsuki had her hands on Aomine’s arm, he could hear her now, crying. She must have been jabbing at his pressure points as hard as she could: bruises dotted his arms and his neck and head ached like hell. But he was moving again. He could feel the water, roaring so close and so far, he could feel it in his body and around him in the air, beating relentlessly through all three of their bodies, through every living thing. What he’d done earlier, pulling moisture from the plants was nothing to this. The airbender saw him moving, and dropped the whistle, lifting his glider into position to attack, to retaliate-

Aomine’s hands moved. There, those trails twined up and down his arms, running through his whole body, it was so _easy_ , so simple, to reach out and twist and _pull_.

The airbender screamed as his flesh tried to rip itself apart.

Mingled into it, a deep and guttural roaring, was the battle cry of an air bison, flying towards them. The sound of her master’s screams seemed to enrage the bison even more, and she landed with a gust that pushed them all back, away from him.

The angry air bison bellowed again, and laid about with her tail, raising a roaring typhoon. Satsuki went over again, and Aomine flipped over until he hit the trees, and when he looked up the air bison had the airbender in her mouth by the back of his tunic and was rising up into the air, moving fast. Aomine expected him to be struggling, but he wasn’t, hanging there with a resigned expression on his face and still panting in pain. He saw Aomine looking at him, and limply, managed to flip him off. His hands and arms were a dark, mottled red.

That was the last thing Aomine managed to see: he passed out.

He woke to Tetsu wiping him down with a wet cloth, and Shige peering into his face.

“What happened?” the older boy demanded. “Tetsuya and I went looking for you when you were missed, and we found-” he waved his hands over their battered, dusty bodies. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” said Aomine, which sounded unconvincing even to him. “Is- do they know about-”

“No,” said Shige, correctly interpreting the question. “They’re all still busy in the square, the Avatar’s just arrived.”

“What happened?” repeated Tetsu, in his soft voice. Aomine eyed him. Shige’s friend from the North Pole was hard to get around, even though they’d only met him a few months ago, when he'd arrived out of nowhere. Auntie Li, Shige’s mom, had been good friends with his grandmother. He was okay, though. Not too weird. Satsuki liked him. 

“Nothing,” he repeated. Shige snorted and said, “I’ll get some more water.”

“Please do,” said Tetsu.

Tetsu left the cloth on Aomine’s face as a signal of his disapproval- Aomine was going to have to find out what Satsuki said to him, if she’d said anything at all- and moved away.

Aomine just lay there. He hurt too much, but it was a relief to feel the water running down his face, thinly coating his skin, in the bucket that Tetsu was squeezing another rag into. Even when Satsuki had chi-blocked him, he’d always been able to still feel the water, just not able to bend it. He was so happy to be able to feel it again that he concentrated on that until _water_ sunk into his skin, cooling his flesh and taking his pain away.

That was. That was new.

The towel was taken off his face. It was Satsuki, looking with wonder at the soft glow on Aomine’s chest. Aomine took the water from the towel and tried it again on Satsuki’s hand, all scratched up and heavily bruised. As the light sunk into her skin she sighed in relief. The redness lessened and her swelling went down. Her hand clenched on his.

“Dai-chan,” Satsuki said. “Dai-chan, just now, you- you blood-” She cut herself off.

He hadn’t. He couldn’t have. He didn’t even know how to. He barely knew how to do _this_ , whatever it was.

“We won’t talk about it,” she said, as though they were six again and vowing to not reveal who’d eaten the buns off the windowsill. “We won’t- we won’t ever see that boy again.” She hugged him, suddenly, fierce, which hurt so much. So much. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Shige walked back into the room. “Alright,” he said. “You two…” his voice trailed off. His eyebrows shot up his forehead.

“Nothing,” said Aomine baldly.

“Uh… huh,” said Shige. “So I’m not going to be telling anyone else in the village about this.”

“About what?” said Satsuki, releasing Aomine. Her makeup was all smeared with tears and dirt. 

“Right,” said Shige. “Tetsuya, can we-” He gestured, and the older boy joined him by the door.

“Do you think it is something dangerous?” said Tetsu, as though they couldn’t hear him, _right there_. “Do you want to tell the village elders?” Shige shrugged and bit his lip. He, more than anyone, knew that Aomine’s presence in the village wasn’t guaranteed. They’d been trying to ship him off to the Southern Water Tribe for ‘training’ for years now. Aomine wasn’t going. Ever.

“I know you might not be here for long, but I’m enlisting in the next month,” said Shige. “While you are here, look out for these two? They’re good kids, they just-” words failed him, and he lifted his hands. “I don’t even understand the stuff they get into.”

“Yes,” said Tetsu. He looked thoughtfully at them, and Aomine and Satsuki met his gaze with ones of studied innocence. “I’ll try.”

.0.

 _Titan_ , massive and awful, breached the horizon mere hours before dawn. It skimmed closer and closer, gilded finishes glinting in the lone searchlight illuminating the construction site. It hissed to a stop at the temporary docking station, and metal wires were called up from the dock to moor the airship. After checking that the wires were secure, the lone crew member went back into the airship, yawning copiously.

There was no further movement from the airship or the camp it currently overlooked. The power plant sunk deep into the side of the mountain was silent. Kiyoshi stomped the ground and felt the ripples travel through the earth: the patrols were on other side of camp and no one else was awake. He gestured the group forward.

The gate leading to the central power plant was open, a folded piece of paper enough to have kept the electronic latch from closing. Barbed wire and large signs reading UNSAFE, KEEP OUT decorated the metal fence at regular intervals. When unfolded, it proved to be a rough map of the dam, with a path marked out in red.

“They came through,” said Ogiwara, giddy with relief. The Fleet soldiers who had been on loan had departed with the greater part of the construction crew, but someone on the other end had still come through for their former comrade.

“Do you still remember the way to the hydros?” said Hayama, poking his head in over Ogiwara’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Ogiwara said. “We can go.” His eyes were hard. “This place will be smoking by morning.”

Hayama nodded and waved off his section of saboteurs. They all knew their places in the plan, and firebenders lit their hands a few times to make sure they were primed and ready.

The ground below them rippled: instinct turned Kiyoshi’s head up to watch a figure falling from the _Titan_ ’s balcony. As he fell, he bent the earth up to meet him, pulling walls of earth which corralled their group. They were being trapped. Kiyoshi and Ogiwara bent a hole open and they ran out of the way.

The new earthbender landed with a thud that shook the whole impromptu barrier, his bare toes digging into the rock. He was younger than he had initially appeared; he drew himself up to his full, impressive, height and his indignant eyes glared at them from a round, soft face, a wrinkle pressed into his cheek. “Who are you?” he demanded. “You’re not soldiers. You’re not guards.” His face twisted. “And you’re not allowed in here.”

Kiyoshi recognised him from last year’s Fist Fury 500: Murasakibara Atsushi, at thirteen years old the youngest of the Murasakibaras of Ba Sing Se. His older brother was on the Project board, the _Titan_ his personal airship. It just figured that while the adults on the ship would be asleep preparing for a long and arduous day inspecting their failing plant, they would get discovered by a boy looking for a small-hour snack.

Ogiwara collapsed the barrier, trying to safely bury Murasakibara, but the boy twisted out of the way quickly and landed further away. “Murasakibara-kun!” said Kiyoshi, raising his voice for the benefit of the whole group. “Please stay out of this. We don’t want to hurt you.”

The boy scoffed. “Try,” he said, and planted his feet. He sent two strips of earth rumbling towards them, bending up blocks in quick succession and sending them spinning towards the group with swift sharp kicks.

They crashed into the wall noisily. Murasakibara, moving his arms, lifted the blocks again and sent them into the wall, uncaring if the blocks hit any of the intruders. He was trying to wake the camp. Lights began to blast on, flooding the outer edges of the camp with light.

“Go,” said Kiyoshi to the rest of them. They took one look at the roving searchlights and went, running as fast as they could. He halted Murasakibara’s blocks with an elbow-strike, then bent the earth under the younger boy when Murasakibara would have tried to block them from leaving.

Murasakibara was fast, and very good. Kiyoshi’s bending threw him upwards, but he twisted in midair and sent the force back through the earth at Kiyoshi, forcing the older earthbender into a defensive stance. Kiyoshi didn’t hesitate. His arms moved in a series of precision strikes, and Murasakibara hit the ground and rolled behind the corner of the leftover barrier, dodging upthrust earth.

Kiyoshi held his stance. He could feel the thrum of vehicles and the thud of feet but they were coming _here_ , not towards his friends. He could stall them. It didn’t matter if he didn’t get out of her. As long as Murasakibara-

“You’re Iron Heart,” called the boy.

Shit. “No?” said Kiyoshi.

“You competed against my brother last year,” said Murasakibara, in a voice that clearly stated his opinion of Kiyoshi’s intelligence. “Of course I’d recognise your style.”

Kiyoshi weighed his options. “Then you should give up now,” he tried.

Murasakibara growled and attacked. Kiyoshi dodged it, then felt the metal set into the ground- all of it, the deep-driven foundations of the power plant, groan and creak. The gate ripped apart: now the approaching men from the camp had an entry.

Master Earthbender _and_ metalbending at such a young age. Kiyoshi recalled that his family was very proud. Kiyoshi flung another chunk of earth at Murasakibara, trying to stall for time.

A ripple moved through the earth under Murasakibara’s feet. He leaped back as a huge chunk of rock burst out of the ground- heading straight for the _Titan_ , floating just above.

Murasakibara moved quickly. Two pillars of earth rocketed up, pushing the rock away from the airship. It smashed on the mountainside, raining huge pieces down on the camp. He turned to Kiyoshi, fists clenched. “How dare you!” he shouted. “If you want to fight me, I’m right here, how _dare_ you-”

Kiyoshi dived at Murasakibara, knocking him out of the way as a huge dark shape reared out of the ground, screaming, and shaking the earth.

It was a badgermole, but wrong. Massive jagged crystals studded its neck and snout, covered the blind eyes and glowed an ugly mud-brown. It arched its neck and screamed again, a sound of agony and fury. Kiyoshi’s heart sank.

Now the metal under the ground wasn’t just creaking, it was screaming, as the plant tried to rip itself out of the ground. As the mountain tried to rid itself of the spike driven deep into its heart.

“What the _hell_ is that?” said Murasakibara. Kiyoshi’s grandmother would have soaped out his mouth for a week.

“That’s my master,” said Kiyoshi. Chasms opened in the earth and Kiyoshi closed them, trying to keep a path to the power plant clear. He left the one which separated the camp from the plant, too far for the workers to jump. They were gathering there and earthbenders tried to form bridges, only to have them broken up by the badgermole.

“Your what?” said Murasakibara, making it clear he was now convinced that Iron Heart was not just stupid, he was insane.

“My master,” said Kiyoshi. “I lived here with my grandparents before the project evicted the mountain’s village and took over the land.” He looked up at the raging badgermole. “I learned my earthbending from the badgermoles that lived under the mountain.”

“They didn’t _take over_ anything,” said Murasakibara, turning on him. “They got paid and they got new houses, why do you protestor freaks keep acting like they got ripped off? And who cares about some stupid badgemoles?”

Above them, wires dropped from the airship and people began to drop down. A tall man hung over the balcony and yelled, “Atsushi? Atsushi! Get back up here! Now!” Murasakibara ignored his brother.

“Because it wasn’t their choice,” said Kiyoshi. Grandma and Grandpa had a middle ring house now, but they had a long way to go to feel the earth squish between their toes. And Kiyoshi had tried to come back home, and found there was nothing there for him, that his master had retreated under the earth. “People have been trying to tell your family, to tell the Bonsai Project, for _years_ and-”

“They didn’t have these kind of problems until _you people_ started sabotaging the work sites!” shouted Murasakibara.

Explosions sounded all over the plant. The rest of them would be out of there already, hopefully smart enough not to come back this way. The badgermole snarled, confused by the loud noises.

Lightning, blazing hot, blasted across the gap. The badgermole screamed again, shielding the remnants of its eyes. Not all the soldiers had gone. Their Republic City masters had left at least one to safeguard their interests. A firebender officer, half-dressed, watched Kiyoshi with cold eyes as lightning crackled all over his fingers and shoulders. “Get away from the badgermole,” he commanded, charging up again.

“Akachin!” said Murasakibara. He sounded, amazingly enough, relieved.

“No!” Kiyoshi shouted. He tried to position himself between the infamous captain and the mountain spirit. “You can’t- don’t do it!”

“Get out of my way or cook,” responded Captain Akashi. “Matters with the mountain spirit have escalated out of control and it must be stopped.”

Kiyoshi stared at him. “But he didn’t do anything!” he said. “It was the construction, it-”

“I’m not interested in bandying words with a criminal saboteur,” said Captain Akashi. “Atsushi, make a bridge.”

Murasakibara obeyed and Captain Akashi strode across, watching the mountain spirit throw its great head in circles, muttering to itself in high-pitched squeaks. The destruction of the mountain seemed to confuse it more than anything. Behind him came more benders, the sun, rising from over the horizon.

Kiyoshi tried lunge forward to engage the Fleet officer and give the mountain spirit a chance to get away but Murasakibara dragged him back, pulling him out of the way.

“No,” said Kiyoshi, one last time. “No, _please_ -”

“Yes,” said Captain Akashi, and blasted the spirit of Kiyoshi’s home from the earth.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rubs hands together, let's do this shit.

“You’ll be leaving?” said Momoi. Tetsu-kun had asked to come along on Nigou’s walk. They’d wandered through the streets in comfortable silence and now sat on a bench in the Republic City Park, watching Nigou stalk turtleducks.

“Yes, perhaps quite soon,” said Tetsu-kun. “I may not... I’d like to ask you to take care of anything I might have to leave behind.” He looked down at Nigou, gamboling over the grass. “Like Nigou.”

“Nigou belongs to all of us,” said Momoi automatically, even as her heart quailed in her chest. “Of course I’ll look after him. Dai-chan will too. Will you be following Ki-chan?” Kichan was flying out after the departed _Victory_ , right now, ignoring Commander Akashi’s order that he stay behind.

“No,” said Tetsu-kun. “There’s… there’s someone very important to me, who is going to need my help. I can’t say much more than that.”

“Oh,” said Momoi.

“I might never have met him again, if we hadn’t come to Republic City,” said Tetsu-kun, a tiny frown on his face. “I have you to thank for that.” He looked sideways. “You’ll be staying here for the foreseeable future?”

“Y-yes,” said Momoi, startled out of her train of thought. “We- I-”

“You want to stay in Republic City,” said Tetsu-kun, doing his trick of understanding just what she felt.

“Yes,” said Momoi. “I love it here. I used to think that the people who came from other villages were so… because they’d be amazed that we got all those tourists in and we weren’t quite like their villages. But Republic City is…” she looked over the water. “There’s so much to see. There’s so much to do. I love my job, it’s… there’s so much for me to _be_.” She looked back at Tetsu-kun. “Do you think that Dai-chan feels like that? He was so happy, when we first came here, but now…”

“I think that Aomine-kun will manage to land on his feet, whether or not you’re taking care of him,” said Tetsu-kun.

Momoi summoned a weak smile. “I think he will,” she said. “But until then... “

“I’m sorry,” said Tetsu-kun.

“No,” said Momoi. She felt the prickle of tears in her eyes. “You only came to Republic City with us as a favour to Shige-kun. You don’t owe us anything.”

“I’ve very much enjoyed my time with you,” said Tetsu-kun. “I’m sorry that I’m leaving you with a burden. That was never my intention.”

“No,” said Momoi. She reached out and touched his hand, holding it tightly. “You’ve helped us so much.”

Tetsu-kun squeezed her hand in return. She knew all the calluses on that hand, had clung to it countless times. “Thank you, Momoi-san,” he said. Then he let go, and so did she. “I have to go now,” he said. “Nigou, be good for Momoi-san. You’ll need to pull your weight.”

Nigou wagged his tail.

Momoi sat at the bench a little longer after Tetsu-kun left. Nigou gathered himself and leapt up to the seat next to her, bored with chasing tree-rats. She put her hand on his back.

“It feels like everyone’s going away,” she said, her voice very soft. “Kagamin, too… He’ll have to go back, won’t he? Otherwise, Master Alex Garcia, Himuro-san, and Commander Akashi wouldn’t be putting all this pressure on him. We don’t want him to go, but-” She buried her head in her arms. Nigou whuffed softly and climbed onto her lap. Momoi picked him up, putting her face against his mini-mane of fur, his warm little body.

Then she scrubbed her eyes, put Nigou back on the ground, and started to walk. The lion-dog kept up, sticking close to her.

The streets emptied out as she got closer to the city centre. People enjoyed watching the Fleet ships come into harbour, hoping for someone to fall off the gangplank into the water. It was better than street theater.

She walked into Police Headquarters and into the back.

“You don’t need to be in, Momoi,” said Susa, looking up from his desk. “You just got _off_ shift.”

“I know,” said Momoi, picking Nigou up for the journey into the prisons. “I was just in the area. I said I’d introduce Narumi-kun to our Lion-dog, Sargeant. It won’t take long.”

.0.

Kasamatsu hit the deck, cursing, then watched as Nijimura surged over the jet of flame to kick the Mukan pirate in the face. All around them knots of soldiers were subduing pirates, and on the other ship the last of their attackers had been forced overboard.

Nijimura stood up, dragging the unconscious pirate by the collar. Another pirate, coming in to rescue their leader, was blasted off the side of the ship by Nijimura’s free hand and landed in the sea with a splash. “Think that’s about it for them,” he said to Kasamatsu.

“Yeah, somehow,” said Kasamatsu. A wave of water lifted the unlucky pirate back out of the water and into the hands of waiting soldiers, and the officer who did it dusted off his hands and walked towards them.

Major Higuchi saluted smartly. “Thanks for the assistance, Capta- uh, Airbender Nijimura.”

“No problem,” said Nijimura. “We saw the signals and came along to help out. Akashi’s been hunting the _Serpentine_ a while, right? He tell you to pick them up?”

“The last communique from the _Victory_ was that she was two days sail away, sent this morning,” said Higuchi. “Commander Akashi will indeed be glad to know that we managed to get ahold of a Mukan ship.”

Nijimura strode to the railing of the pirate ship to survey the ship of their erstwhile victims. Kai circled above, still growling under his breath.

“What’s in there that the _Serpentine_ was so hot on getting their hands on?” he said. “Can’t be more than a handful of passengers in that ship outside the crew, and definitely no cargo.”

“Just one,” said Higuchi.

A young girl dressed in rich white furs waved at them and bowed. Kasamatsu, fresh out of Republic City, thought he saw a family resemblance to Councilman Nakatani’s stuck-up young cousin.

“The princess of the Northern Water Tribe,” said Higuchi. Somewhat self-consciously, he waved back to the little girl. “We were patrolling out of schedule when we caught the distress signals. No one expected the Serpentine to be out here on this route, so we sent up some of our own.” He grimaced. “That’s when you came in.”

“What was she doing all the way out here?” said Nijimura.

“She visits relatives on the coast of the Earth Kingdom every few months,” said Higuchi. “She left about a week ago, and her visits usually last a week. The crew is all waterbenders, and they transport people and small shipments regularly along this route.”

“So these guys knew she was coming and tried to kidnap her?” said Kasamatsu. “Ransom? Hostage?”

“That’s war with the Northern Water Tribe,” said Nijimura. “Not the rich people the pirates usually prey on- there’s lots of people living out here who’ll look the other way if some Earth Kingdom money bleeds. But they wouldn’t keep quiet if their princess got taken hostage.” His face twisted. “The Mukan tried to take her brother in Republic City, too. They’ve gotta have some kind of plan going on.”

Kasamatsu shook his head. “No, Kise was there,” he said. He’d been right, then. “He said that the Mukan picked Midorima out because they mistook him for someone else who’d been giving them shit. The lieutenant babysitting Midorima corroborated. He got involved by accident.”

Nijimura scowled harder. “Geh,” he said, visibly giving up. “I’ll leave the politics to Akashi to sort out. You good to keep hold of these guys and bring their ship in?” he said to Higuchi.

“That is already in progress,” said the Major. “We’re going back to the base, and when the Commander Akashi arrives we’ll have them ready for interrogation. And the crew, to see if there’s anything they can tell us themselves.”

“I’ll meet up with Akashi on the way,” said Nijimura, lifting his face into the wind to check its direction. “Kasamatsu’s got Kai, he can drop her bring her back to the capital city faster than she can get home herself. The sooner she’s back home with her family and behind all that security, the better.”

“Wait, what?” said Kasamatsu.

“Fly the princess back home,” said Nijimura. “From here, you’ll get there and back to the base way before sundown.”

“Uh,” said Kasamatsu.

They both looked at him.

“Is there a problem?” said the Major.

“We didn’t bring Kai’s saddle,” Kasamatsu pointed out. “What if she falls off?”

“Catch her,” said Nijimura, as though it was obvious.

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine,” he said. He lifted his hand and Kai floated down, flicking his tail curiously. “I’ll see you guys back there, I guess.”

“I’ll radio down to the Victory about your arrival,” said Major Higuchi, while Nijimura leapt onto the small ship to explain the arrangement. “We’ll be expecting you at the base as well.”

Kasamatsu nodded and bent air around himself, leaping up onto Kai. Nijimura carried the little princess up to them. She was very excited to have a ride on an air bison.

“He’s so beautiful,” said the little girl, once they’d settled her on Kai’s back. Her eyes sparkled. “What’s your bison’s name, Mr Airbender? Can I pet him? Or her?”

Kasamatsu coughed. “Uh, him,” he said. “Name’s Kai. Hold tight to the band, okay? You don’t want to fall off.”

Kai heard his name and rumbled in acknowledgement. “Okay,” she said. She rubbed her knuckles into the thick fur. “Hi, Kai,” she said.

Below, Nijimura waved to them and leapt off the ship, snapping out the wings on his flightsuit. He arrowed out over the water, heading south as fast as he could bend.

“Yip yip,” said Kasamatsu. Careful of the Water Tribe Princess, Kai rose and soared in the opposite direction. They would have to fly slowly, but they had plenty of time and she was dressed warmly. 

Above them, high in the cloud cover, Haizaki hissed steam out from his mouth and brushed ice out of his bison’s fur. She too wore a hood, protecting her eyes from the icy air. “Let’s go,” he said, watching the small dark shapes streak away.

.0.

“I can’t believe Kise really thinks he’ll just fly up and everything will be okay,” said Kagami, arms folded in the small space.

“Kise thinks that the commander will let him join in,” said Aomine. That was not altogether accurate. What Kise had actually said was, ‘What’s he going to do? Throw me off the ship? Again? How many times can he do that?’

Kagami scowled. “He still won’t like it,” the prince said. “And he’s used to strong-arming his way through to get whatever he wants. No matter what it takes.”

“So... like this one?” said Aomine.

“Oh, yeah,” said Kagami. The elevator dinged on arrival.

The butler of the Imperial Penthouse Suite bowed them out of the elevator and into a room set up with a large table in the center loaded down with treats and tea. Kagami’s not-brother.. that was going to get confusing… stood up to welcome them.

“Taiga, Aomine, welcome, welcome,” he said, smiling warmly. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. We really didn’t get much of a chance to talk at the party, did we?”

“Not really,” said Kagami, taking the seat Himuro indicated for him. With another smooth motion, Himuro dismissed the butler.

“Thanks, uh, for having us,” said Aomine, a little embarrassed even though they’d just been here for a much fancier party.

Sitting at the table, head propped up in one massive hand as the other hand ferried food to his mouth, was the rich kid Aomine had briefly met the other day. Aomine had never heard of the Murasakibaras, but Kagami had explained their position with ‘they’re rich. Very rich.’ and left it at that.

He didn’t look rich. Himuro was dressed much more like Aomine’s idea of a prince, shining with gold and silk, smiling sweetly as he presided over the table.

Aomine jerked his chin at the other boy and Murasakibara acknowledged it with a nod.

Himuro sat down. “This is nice,” he said, smiling at all of them. “You’re hungry, of course. Try some of the buns! They’re freshly made, and we can always have more.”

Aomine shrugged and set to. It all looked the same and he had no idea what half these things were. Kagami had already filled a plate with various delicacies, and now stuffed his mouth with glutinous rice. Aomine took a bite, then started shoving food into his mouth. This was the best food he’d ever tasted.

Murasakibara wordlessly pushed a plate closer to Aomine. “‘nks,” Aomine mumbled. He’d thought the stuff they served at the party was good. Rich people food was amazing.

“And now that I have your attention,” said Himuro, closely watching Kagami chew and swallow, “Taiga, have you given any more thought to returning to the Fire Nation?”

“No,” said Kagami. He turned to Murasakibara. “This is very good,” he said politely. Aomine chewed and thought about how weird it was to see Kagami come over all well-behaved like that.

“Thank you,” said Murasakibara gravely.

Himuro sighed.

“I told you, I told Alex, I told that asshole,” said Kagami, downing another steaming cup of tea. “I’m not going back.”

“You’ll have to someday,” said Himuro and refilled Kagami’s cup. He filled up Murasakibara’s and Aomine’s cups too, while he was at it. “I’m not saying you have to patch things up, I just think it would good if you showed your face there once in a while. People are barely certain you’re alive. Strange rumors have been flying around all over the Earth Kingdom.”  He laughed. “Why, during my travels, some people even mistook me for a Fire Nation prince. Imagine that!”

“Yeah,” mumbled Kagami. “Hilarious. Look, let’s drop it, okay? I haven’t seen you in forever. And look at you. You’re living it up. Tell me about your life.” Kagami’s mouth worked. “What’s happened to you?”

“It’s been quite uneventful,” said Himuro. He ate a little crisp biscuit. “I’ve really just been travelling the world, like you.”

Kagami snorted. “Why _did_ you want both of us?” he said.

“I invited your friend for Atsushi,” said Himuro. “He’s a big Lion-Dogs fan.”

Murasakibara looked annoyed. “No, I’m not,” he said, seeming to wake up a little. “I just listened to a couple of their matches on the radio, that’s all.” He shifted his shoulders then darted a glance at Aomine and said, “Notbad.”

“He had tickets to the championship match, but they had to be refunded after the tournament was cancelled,” said Himuro. “It was a shame that I didn’t get to see it either.”

“Oh, yeah,” said Kagami. He shared a glance with Aomine. Somehow that part of their life seemed really far away. Everything seemed really far away, actually. Aomine felt full and weighed down.

“Are you going to keep doing it?” said Himuro. “The Arena and the League is shut down, isn’t it? And you can’t be thinking of living there long-term.”

“That’s not-” said Kagami. Aomine looked away, trying to make sense of what they were saying, and saw that Murasakibara had put his head on the table, possibly out of embarrassment.

“What about your father?” said Himuro. His voice was so smooth, so even and reasonable. “You’re the only heir he has left, you don’t think he wants to see you?”

Kagami stared at Himuro, his fists clenched. “What’s up with you? You don’t care about my family. You were the one who came up with idea of running away in the first place.”

“Alex is under a lot of pressure, she asked me to-” said Himuro, blinking at Kagami.

“No,” said Kagami. “You were harping on that before Alex even arrived. Why do you suddenly care so much about getting me out of here?”

Himuro put his head on the side. Kagami stared at him. “Tatsuya?” he said. “Why are you- why-”

Kagami tipped his head back, breathing laboured breaths, his eyes sliding shut even as he braced his arms on the table and tried to stand. He failed, toppling sideways into Himuro’s arms, who lowered him to the floor.

But that was… he was… “Kagami?” said Aomine. His vision was blurring. He was so tired. Murasakibara had already slumped over, knocking the teapot off the table. They’d been chugging tea the whole meal, while Himuro nursed his one cup. What the hell. Fuck. Fuck.

“You caused a lot of trouble when you interrupted Mako’s shakedown, Aomine,” said Himuro, voice still pleasant. His blue eyes were very cold. “I got Atsushi out of the way to the party and everything. And then they just missed getting Taiga, too. They’ve been looking for him for a long time, you know.”

Something garbled came out of Kagami’s mouth. Aomine’s eyelids had drooped almost to the point of closing. He raged at himself, surely he knew something to get _up_ , get _out_ …

“The next time we meet...” said Himuro, his voice very soft. He was bending over Kagami, reaching around his neck for- the necklace? But why...“Come at me like you want to kill me, Taiga. Goodbye.”

.0.

Kise swooped straight towards the stern lights of the _Victory_ , skimming the horizon in full view so that he wouldn’t get shot down by anyone on watch. He’d been flying for longer than he had anticipated: the ship had made better time than he’d estimated.

Something made Kise falter his approach, and adjust his flight to swoop over the length of the ship. Now that he was closer, he saw the ship clearly.

There was no one on deck. No one patrolling, no one taking measurements, no one on watch, no one walking and relaxing in the free areas, no one manning any of the open-air stations that Kise could see.

This was bad.

Kise landed on the deck, and immediately soaked his feet. The decks were covered with water. There was too much for it just to be sea-spray, thrown up by the normal motion of the wind and waves. Waterbenders? But if there’d been some kind of fight, there would be more than that. There would still be people around, mopping up or taking over duties. Even if Akashichi had been-

A chill went down Kise’s spine. He couldn’t think of anything which would take down his firebending master, let alone the entire ship full of trained soldiers.

“Akashichi?” he called, pushing open a door to the inside of the ship. Were they below? “Cadets? Officers? Anyone?”

Silence.

“It’s Kise!” he said, drawing air to boom his voice into a roar. “Anyone! Can you hear me? Do you need help?”

Silence, though his voice echoed down the metal corridors.   
He went down level by level, calling for anyone and finding no one. Kise had seen a horror mover like this once: Shou had gotten into trouble afterwards, because the whole group of them had gotten nightmares and woken the temple with screaming.

Here, at least, there were some signs that there’d been people- chairs knocked over or doors hanging askew. On the ship, doors were either closed or secured in an ‘open’ position. And everywhere, sloshing and splashing with the motion of the ship, water.

He reached the communications room and here the receiver was hanging off the hook, keeping anyone from calling in. Kise put the headset back on the hook, depressing the receiver. Where was the book of call codes- Kise could send off an SOS to the closest base, at least- and he’d been trained to transmit during his year aboard the ship.

Water sloshed around his ankles. Kise reached for the reference books, on a shelf above the transmitters.

Something jerked him backwards, slamming him into the doorframe. Kise fell to the floor and accidentally inhaled seawater, coughing and choking as the grip around his ankles climbed up his legs.

.0.

Hyuuga fidgeted, ground his teeth, fingered the loops of the jacket he had on and just barely stopped himself from tapping his feet on the pavement.

Reo looked cool as a cucumber-melon. He was posing as a street peddler selling jewelry and Hyuuga had been instructed to act as his surly assistant. He had refused to tell Hyuuga more than a bit of the plan, aside from an assurance that he was keeping Riko out of it as much as possible. Everyone had their part, he’d said. And it was crucial to secrecy and success that no one knew more of the plan than their direct part in it.

“What are we waiting for?” said Hyuuga, trying again. “Telling me some codeword is my cue isn’t going to be helpful if I don’t know when it’s coming.”

“I’d advise you to worry about yourself,” said Reo. “You live here and you’re insisting on going underground with us, the consequences will be worse for you no matter what. You don’t need to put yourself in that kind of danger.”

I’m going to be there whether you like it or not,” said Hyuuga, leaning over to hiss into Reo’s face. “Kiyoshi-”

Reo laid a finger on Hyuuga’s lips. Hyuuga blinked at him. “They’re here,” Reo said. A truck had pulled up, two trucks, and a double handful of people were disembarking from the back with a maximum of noise carrying… food delivery cases? Izuki was among them, a cap pulled down low over his face.

Reo and Hyuuga walked into the station behind them, acting interested in the spectacle. There weren’t many people around at this time of day: before the offices around here let out and long after lunch rush.

“What the hell?” said the officer on duty at the desk, standing up.

“We got a big order coming in,” said the guy leading the delivery people, hefting the metal carrying case. “Delivery here from Narook’s! Come and get it while it’s hot, shitheads.”

They were greeted with groans of joy from the officers in the office space, who came to the open door to stare hungrily at the delivery containers.

“That’s a lot of food today,” Hyuuga heard an officer say. “Going out of business, Miyaji?”

“We had a cancellation,” said the head deliveryman. “Fuckers are paying us full price anyway, and _we_ can’t eat this up. Move your asses, we’ll set it up in the back for you.”

“Appreciate it,” said the officer, and the workers moved into the back of the station, past the desk and public areas, carrying their big metal containers in both straining arms.

He pressed in among them with Reo, as though he just wanted to beg a free bowl of noodles. Reo split off to the side to stand near the station wall, touching it with his hands, starting from his fingertips and flattening his palms against it. His eyes were closed and his breathing evened out, became deeper. Hyuuga was near Reo, and felt- so subtle, so understated- the ground shiver around them.

“-’s loss is our grain,” said a drooling officer.

“Yeah,” said Miyaji. “Wasting all this good food. Should’ve thrown a pineapple at his head.”

‘Pineapple’, that was the signal, and the delivery people flipped open their carriers to pull out flash bombs, throwing them as hard as they could into the cavernous space full of officers.

They ducked; Hyuuga closed his eyes just in time.

When he opened them again Reo had stepped out into the doorway, and, eyes still closed, bracelets ringing, disabled the entire room of officers. The officers sunk into the ground to their waists, still coughing, sputtering, or rubbing their eyes.

The deliverymen, all waterbenders, went into action. Metalbending cops gasped as they pulled any liquid they could find- tea, lukewarm coffee, the bags hidden in the carriers- and froze it solid in their wire mechanisms and armor, jamming the systems and immobilising the police officers. Unless they could bend with their faces, they weren’t going to be freeing themselves or their fellow officers any time soon.

Two graceful arm movements and a decisive stomp later, Reo sealed the doors and windows with thick panels of earth.

Reo walked through the trapped police officers and the tangle of desks to the centre of the room. The other Mukan agents followed him, and they pulled open the floor to reveal the sloping path to the underground prisons. Hyuuga couldn’t help shivering, still. How far they extended and how deep they went were a matter of police legend, and he remembered being told he had to be good or end up locked under the earth forever.

Reo turned to the waterbenders. “Hold it as long as you can,” he said. ”Once I’ve located the prisoners, follow us down.”

Hyuuga stepped up to stand with the benders gathering at the entrance with Reo. Reo stomped and they dropped down the shaft. Hyuuga gasped and clutched for Reo’s sleeve, drawing a laugh from the earthbender. All Reo’s cool detachment had sharpened and blazed: this was what he had been waiting for.

They reached a large anteroom with smaller tunnels branching outwards. There were a handful of officers here on guard, staring in shock at their sudden entry. One of them snapped out of it and began calling orders, bending earth towards the intruders.

Hell, hell, _hell,_ it was Imayoshi, still in his civvies with a few more of the off-duty officers behind him, and that was when Reo shook out his hands and all his bracelets flowed down his arms, a silver whip. “Take Junpei,” called Reo, spreading a lattice of silver liquid in the air. “He’s coming with you to get Kiyoshi. I’ll handle things here.”

The earthbender he’d given his order to grabbed Hyuuga’s arm.

“Hurry, we don’t have much time!” said the earthbender. His grip, like Kiyoshi’s, was inordinately strong. “We have a map of the prison- Kiyoshi-san is over this way!”

Hyuuga took off after him down the winding corridors. He counted twists and turns under his breath as he bent open earth passages between rooms or sectors. It was clear to Hyuuga that they must have had someone on the inside to supply them with Kiyoshi’s location, or they would never have found their way.

Then the whole world shook, and the electric lights, already sparse, went out completely. Hyuuga swallowed a scream and lit his fist. It took three tries.

The stranger was waiting for him patiently. “Can you lead the way?” he said, once Hyuuga had stabilised the flame, his face emerging from the dark. “I’ll direct you as much as I can.”

“Y-yeah,” said Hyuuga. He got a grip on himself. This was for Kiyoshi.

They ran through the darkness- and the noise, oh god, the creaks and rumbles and muffled, yelling voices- until finally, _finally_ , the earth passages gave way to a wooden prison with Kiyoshi inside. He was already out of the cage, having moved an unconscious Fleet officer safely into the solid structure. The door hung open, but Kiyoshi sat cross-legged on the floor next to the soldier, eyes closed, simply, it seemed, waiting for someone to come. He opened them when the light from Hyuuga’s fire fell on his face.

“Kiyoshi-san!” said the earthbender.

“Ogiwara!” said Kiyoshi, his eyes huge, blinking from the sudden brightness. “Hy-Hyuuga?”

Hyuuga wanted to laugh and cry and hit Kiyoshi, all at once. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you out of here. You idiot.”

“No,” said Kiyoshi. “No, you can’t, you’re the ones who are going to get into trouble for this, you don’t know what you’re- _you_ have to get out, now!”

“I’m not leaving unless you come with me,” said Hyuuga. “That was the only way she let me in here without coming herself.”

“Kiyoshi-san, please come,” said Ogiwara. “We have a plan. We have an escape route.”

The earth rumbled again, even more menacingly. Kiyoshi looked distraught. “But you can’t- you’re not even-”

“Come before the police recover and put us _both_ in jail, stupid!” Hyuuga said, and Kiyoshi, listening intently to the earth, went.

They emerged at last into the unused basement of a nearby building. The whole thing had taken barely an hour; Ogiwara boosted Hyuuga through the hole he’d made, and they both pulled Kiyoshi up.

“I have strong objections to this,” said Kiyoshi.

“Reo-san said you’d know who our driver was,” said Ogiwara, leading them out onto the street. The police station was mobbed with bystanders and people trying to break in. Hyuuga hoped Izuki had gotten out of there; the station was surrounded. But no one was looking at them.

On cue, Riko pulled up beside them. She was wearing a delivery uniform too, from one of her father’s companies, and a cap, pulled down low over her face.

“Riko, _no_ ,” said Kiyoshi in tragic accents.

“Shut up and get in the back,” said Riko. While Ogiwara was shoving Kiyoshi in, Riko said, “What happened down there? The whole city felt the shaking.”

“The underground prisons go much further than most people know,” said Ogiwara. “The aftershocks should be felt by most of the city.”

Hyuuga swore. “So much for a quick job,” he said, climbing in after Kiyoshi.

“I did warn you,” said a familiar voice. Reo, nearly all his jewelry now back in place, was sitting next to Riko.

“Oh,” said Hyuuga, feeling weirdly deflated. “You got out.”

“Of course I did,” said Reo, smirking. “Once the strike teams were clear, I made my own exit. The object of this operation was get people _out_ of prison, not throw more people in.”

“What’s the plan from here?” said Hyuuga.

Reo studied him in the mirror. “We get out of here,” he said.

“Helpful, real helpful,” said Hyuuga. Riko concentrated on driving, but Hyuuga could see the tension on her face.

“Reo,” said Kiyoshi, his voice grim. “I should have known.”

“We couldn’t have let you _stay_ in there, could we?” said Reo, huffily. “They felt the same way.”

“You could have not involved them at all!” said Kiyoshi.

“If I could have, I would have,” said Reo with finality.

“Don’t blame him,” said Riko. “We decided to do this, the both of us.”

“You could have stayed out of this,” Kiyoshi said to her, pleading. “I would have been alright.”

“No,” she said, finally. “You don’t understand, I overheard my dad saying that you had to be dealt with, that having you running around was a liability. We had to get you out. Do you think I’d have let him do something this dangerous if I didn’t think your situation was even worse?”

Kiyoshi, closing his eyes, said, “Oh, Riko,” in his soft voice.

Riko took them out of the city, where a battered airship, painted with a logo Hyuuga didn’t recognise, was idling way too low to the ground. Other vehicles were parked near it, their doors hanging open and abandoned.

“My _Beauty_ ,” said Reo, smiling at the expression that passed over Hyuuga’s face. He moved his arms, and a forest of thick metal cables dropped from the airship. Reo gave them a quick tug to make sure they were stable. “Kiyoshi first,” he said.

“W-watch,” said Hyuuga. His throat felt thick all of a sudden. “Watch his knee. It’s been injured.”

“I’m following him,” said Reo. “Teppei, let’s go.” He looked at Hyuuga, his eyes suddenly serious. “Take care, Hyuuga.”

“Can’t we-” said Kiyoshi. “What’s going to happen to-”

“None of your business,” said Riko, her arms wrapped around herself. “Just go.”

Hyuuga watched Reo winch Kiyoshi into the airship. That was it, then. Hyuuga probably going to have to skip town himself, but at least Kiyoshi was out of jail and no one had seen Riko’s face or-

The wires came shooting down again, and wrapped around Riko’s body. Riko screamed and tried to run but they held fast, beginning to lift her towards the airship.

Hyuuga leapt off the ground, grabbing for her, but was dragged back by Ogiwara, who braced himself with earth and sunk Hyuuga into the ground, wrapping his arm around Hyuuga’s neck to choke off his airflow.

“Sorry, Hyuuga-san,” said Ogiwara. His arm around Hyuuga’s throat tightened and held on; unable to firebend, to get free, to breathe, Hyuuga’s world went black.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Fleet Headquarters was a ghost building right now. _Emperor_ was mere hours from docking in the harbour, and most of the people in Fleet Headquarters had either left with the _Victory_ or were out and about getting ready for Commander Shirogane’s return. That was something Takao didn’t miss: the insane rush to get ready to wait for someone higher-ranked than you to turn up. Soldiers had been crawling all over the city for a week, but there was no one here now.

“Which is good,” said Takao heavily. “Because if there was more people around you’d be able to write down the record of the first time a man _died from shame_ , Shin-chan.”

“Were,” corrected Midorima.

“I hate you,” said Takao. He brought the wagon to a stop in front of the Fleet Headquarters, and Midorima climbed out.Takao knew better than to help Midorima, who insisted that his arm was nearly healed.

“I won’t take long,” he assured Takao.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Takao. “I’ve heard that one before.”

Midorima ignored him, nodding a greeting at the soldier standing guard in the lobby as he swept past. Rightfully, the guard stared at Midorima like the waterbender was an alien. At least he didn’t try to stop Midorima: that would have gotten ugly.

Takao pulled around to the side, out of traffic, and settled in to wait for Midorima. The air was warm and lazy, approaching evening. There was a nice small park here with a fountain. Watching it made Takao feel resigned, calm even. Midorima wasn’t going to rat out Kise to the Commander, and even if he did, it was too late to do anything about it.

Then the water in the fountain foamed up and surged through a window of HQ, smashing it and sending shards of colored glass sparkling in the air.

Takao gaped at it. Little spurts of fire followed, dying out as they missed their target. More sounds of destruction came from the broken-open floor, a man and a woman yelling incoherently, and then Midorima- it had to be him- bent the water out from the fountain in a torrent, washing out two figures in dark clothes. Midorima froze them to the fountain and they struggled in vain to get free.

Takao heard a shout and saw the guard was running towards him.

Something was wrong, what was it? The uniform, the belt and jacket, they sat wrong but were worn and well-used. The uniform was too big. He was wearing someone else’s uniform. He hadn’t run into the building when the commotion started, he’d run all the way around it and into the garden area. The guard moved his hands and Takao had one more telling piece of evidence: a waterbender was wearing a firebender’s red stripes.

Takao lunged off the rickshaw, waving his arms at the guard.

“What the hell?” he yelled. “What the hell was that? Who are these people?” Movement near the hole was Midorima, making sure his two attackers were solidly frozen.

“I don’t know,” the guard yelled back. He was distracted from his bending, and the rope of water fell apart. “I’m going to-” And then Takao punched him, grabbing his flailing arm and forcing him to the ground.

“What are you-” shouted the guard.

“Do you think I’m _stupid_?” said Takao. “Bend, I’ll break your arm.” He leaned harder on the guard’s back, cutting off his breathing. Takao looked up; Midorima was leaning out of the hole by his good arm, but when he saw Takao looking at him, he vanished back into the building.

“For fuck’s sake,” Takao muttered to himself. He yanked off the guard’s jacket and bound his arms together. If there was anyone else hanging around, he didn’t need to be blindsided. Taking off the guy’s belt, Takao tied his legs too.

Kneeling on the ground, he almost felt it when the earth shook for the first time.

Midorima emerged from the back door of the building. “The communications office has been sabotaged,” said Midorima grimly. “Legitimate soldiers were attacked and are unconscious or stunned in the building- I only saw a few, there may be others. These two were in the process of burning the message records. We need to-”

The earth shook again, harder.

“Earthquakes,” said Midorima, a note of alarm in his voice.

“Earthbenders,” said Takao. Republic City wasn’t earthquake country- or the underground networks would in be serious danger.

“It would take either a very skilled earthbender, or-” said Midorima. He lunged for their captives. “Why were you sabotaging the communications?” he demanded. “What’s happening?”

Now, once again, the ground shook- throwing him off his feet in a sharp jolt. Takao felt the tremors, and heard Midorima counting off under his breath. It ended at five full seconds, and Takao looked up to see, lifting above the city, massive, green, purple, gold, Murasakibara’s airship the _Hammer_. As it flew, Takao’s eyes picked out dark shapes falling from it. He grabbed Midorima and yanked him down again, right in time for the light and sound of the explosions to reach them. They were far away enough that they only felt, once again, a barely imperceptible shiver in the ground.

Sirens finally began to ring, screaming throughout the city.

“Where was that?” said Midorima, frowning as he tried to work it out. Takao moved off him, letting him sit up.

“Police Headquarters,” said Takao. He’d gone cold all over. “They bombed Police Headquarters. The earthquakes would have fucked up the underground prisons, and now they’ve bombed the neighbourhood.”

“We need to get down there,” said Midorima. He cast a hard, frustrated glance at their captives, all of whom were silent and had stopped struggling. Two had closed their eyes and the other stared straight ahead. All looked resolute. “Leave them for whoever has time later. We’ve got more important things to do.”

.0.

Aomine was so over waking up on the floor in pain. Kiyoshi Island hadn’t been like this. So often. Someone splashed water on his face, cool, clear water. Aomine covered his face in it, healed the soreness and then sucked it down.

Kagami leant over him, frowning. He looked like a sea serpent had chewed him up and spit him out. Again.

Kagami helped Aomine sit up and said, “Are you okay?”

“Why aren’t you still sleeping?’ said Aomine, rather than answer a stupid question. “He drugged us.”

“I’m still-” Kagami gulped, and ducked to the side to throw up in a soup tureen. “Still burning it off,” he said.

Aomine handed him the bucket of water. “Where is he?”

“Gone,” answered Kagami. “He left all three of us here and the Lieutenant says he stole Murasakibara’s airship.”

“That dude has his own airship?” said Aomine.

“Yeah, he’s really rich,” said Kagami.

The suite was a mess. Furniture had fallen over and only half the lights were even on; Aomine saw the shattered remains of a couple of vases and hangings that had come down.

Lieutenant Takao was kneeling next to Murasakibara, talking into a handheld radio. “Tell Midorima we found him,” he said. He was covered in soot, for some reason. “Tell him Aomine and Kagami are here too- he’ll know who I mean. Looks like all three of them were drugged.” A crackle, and a rush of static, someone’s voice distorted by the radio. “I’ll get back to you on that, he’s still out cold.” He tucked it back away in his jacket and looked at Aomine and Kagami. “He okay?” he called.

“He looks fine,” said Kagami. He shook himself. “Can you do anything for Murasakibara?” he said. “With water?”

“Bring the bucket,” said Aomine.

Ten minutes later, Murasakibara was vomiting just as violently as Kagami had, biting down on miserable noises. Takao kept his hair out of his face while Aomine kept sweeping healing water over his digestive system. Probably Midorima would have been able to do something more elegant and immediately useful.

“Where’s Midorima?” said Aomine. “He’s the one who sent you here?”

“He’s at the Police Station,” said Takao. “There’s-” he threw a quick glance at Aomine. “There’s been an attack on the police station and he’s working on rescue efforts.”

The bottom fell out of Aomine’s world; the water fell out of his hands.

“The station?” he said. “Who was there? Was Satsuki there? Was Ryou there?”

“She didn’t have work today,” said Kagami hurriedly. “She came back from her morning shift to see Kise off, remember?”

Aomine wasn’t paying him any attention: he reached out and grabbed Takao’s arm. “ _Was she there_?” he said.

“We don’t know,” said Takao, speaking low and calm. “It’s bad. Midorima wants Murasakibara down there to sift the underground for officers and prisoners who were down there when the tunnels collapsed.”

Murasakibara raised his head. “What?” he said.

Takao kept his eyes on Aomine. “There were earthquakes,” he said. “We think Earthbenders, and some bombs. We don’t know how far the damage goes, which is why every available earthbender is working on establishing tunnels and digging out survivors. But in some places, it’s too dangerous to get to them. That’s why we need the best earthbender in the Earth Kingdom.”

Murasakibara went ashen and put his head down to vomit again. 

“Let’s go down there,” said Kagami, measured and firm. “They’ll need help, we can go down and help out, and we’ll know everything that happens. If she’s there-” Takao’s face twisted in pain as Aomine’s grip tightened- “ _if_ she’s there, she’s probably helping out right now. We’ll find her there.”

“We have to dig for-” said Aomine.

“The earthbenders have to dig,” said Kagami, still in that calm, clear voice. “If we go in and we don’t know what to do, we’re only going to get in the way.”

That made sense. That did make sense. Aomine knew better than to get in the middle of rescue operations. People got killed like that. Gently, firmly, Kagami peeled Aomine’s fingers off Takao’s arm, and the Lieutenant grimaced as he shook it out.

Murasakibara looked at Takao, at Kagami and Aomine, and pushed himself to his feet. Takao moved to support the earthbender, who wobbled dangerously. “Let’s go,” Murasakibara said unsteadily.

Aomine got up too. The sooner they got down there, the better. He gestured for Kagami to help Murasakibara instead. The Lieutenant was dwarfed by the Earthbender and didn’t look so good himself.

“Anyone going after his airship?” said Kagami to Takao. Himuro. That was what Kagami was asking about, without asking. If Himuro was involved in this, if Satsuki- Aomine was going to hunt him to the ends of the earth. “It was in the Fleet Hangar, right?”

“Fleet has their own problems right now,” said Takao, grimly. “There was a mine waiting for the _Emperor_ in the harbour and they blew out parts of the dock. Councilman Nakatani, Councilman Aida, and Police Chief Harasawa are all missing. They have airbenders and your brother’s dragon working out there with the waterbenders who can’t heal.”

“...Akachin?” murmured Murasakibara, leaning his head against the wood panelling. “Did they call for him…? He’d turn around, right…?”

“They did radio out,” said Takao. “Once we found one that hadn’t been sabotaged and destroyed. There was no response from the _Victory_ , and the last time anyone can remember hearing from them was this morning.” He dragged his hand over his face, leaving tracks in the dirt and sweat. “And there’s no one to go after them. They’re on their own.”

.0.

 _Victory_ moved under Kise’s cheek. He was back in his bunk in the cadet dormitory, blankets wrapped around his body, the stale cabin air somehow both stifling and chilly. Any time now, someone would shake him awake for morning training with Akashichi, which for the past year had involved being thrown off the back of the ship and forced to swim to get back on. Kise hated waking before he had to, he was a growing boy… didn’t he need sleep? Didn’t he _deserve_ it? Just because Akashichi was secretly one of those perpetual motion automatons who never stopped working or training, did he have to work the Avatar this hard? Kise had mastered the elements in a thousand lifetimes, would do so in a thousand more…

Wet.

Why was he wet?

Kise wanted to sleep. He needed to sleep. Someone would wake him up, someone else would do it, someone-

Kise crashed awake. Above him, to the side, all around, were ropes upon ropes of moving seaweed, gleaming wetly in the glow they themselves gave off. As Kise watched, more seaweed retracted out of the cadet dormitory, revealing other people, the fleet soldiers, still asleep in puddles of water, heaped haphazardly into the bunks or on the floor.

Gross.

Kise grabbed a wall-mounted handhold and hauled himself upright. He lurched with the ship’s motion, getting his balance back. He was sore in places where he must have been banged against the stairs and doors while dragged down here. The fronds of seaweed were going somewhere. They were going to deal with something else.

The leftover seaweed coiled again around his ankles, much thinner this time. Kise kicked them off and bent himself out the door in a swoop of air, landing in a mercifully person-free corridor.

Back in the dormitory, the soldiers remained asleep. Kise was standing on a sodden heap of seaweed, wriggling feebly under his weight. The way up was blocked by a woven wall of seaweed, and further down... Kise shuddered. It was fun- though painful- to race cadets through the narrow corridors in off-duty games of freeze tag. He didn’t want to be caught down there with a sentient seaweed monster. Noticing that the seaweed was once again coiling up his ankles, he kicked them off and went back into the room. He blew on both his palms and laid it against the seaweed on the wall. As the heat built, the seaweed crisped and burnt away, revealing the window.

Kise wrenched the window open, hoisting himself out. It was a tight fit, but he just managed to lever his shoulders through. The waves splattered his face as he took in deep gulps of fresh air. He twisted free of the window and bent himself a little surfboard of ice, landing on the ocean.

Kise steadied himself and zipped along the length of the ship on its backwash. Now that he knew what the _thing_ was that had attacked the ship, he could-

And here rising out of the ocean, occupying almost the whole of the open-air aft deck, a giant twisted knot of seaweed, tangled in the propellers, twined through windows and railings. Shadowed by an upper-deck overhang, Kise had missed it on his approach.

It quickly became apparent why the seaweed monster had lost its grip on Kise.

An airbender was attacking the seaweed monster from the air with chi-charged blasts of air. It was effective at least: the seaweed writhed madly at every strike and kept hauling parts of its body up into the main mass to use for attack and defense.

Kise used the water to launch himself into the air, straight for the other airbender. “It’s ME!” he yelled, mid-trajectory.

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” he clearly heard the familiar voice curse, and then Nijimura veered around and caught Kise by the arms, swooping to the front of the ship to drop them both on the deck.

“What are you doing here?” he said, glowering darkly at the fronds of seaweed all over the deck.

“What are _you_?” Kise counter-demanded. “Where’s Akashichi?”

Nijimura _tch_ ed. “I was at the Northern Temple,” he said. “Didn’t you come out with him? Damn salad-thing won’t let me anywhere near the command tower.”

“I-” said Kise. “N-no. He told me to stay in Republic City when they left.”

Nijimura remained unfazed at the idea of Kise defying his former teacher’s direct order. Wait. Akashichi didn’t have any authority to give him orders. “Shou flew in with us a week ago,” he said. “It’s a good thing you’re here.”

Kise’s teeth ground. “Shou?” he said.

“Yeah,” said Nijimura. “Duck!”

Kise dropped and rolled on some ancient instinct, dodging the seaweed which was suddenly much more alive and aggressive.

“I can’t get to the spirit core,” Nijimura yelled at him. “Every time I attack it, all I get are the tentacles!”

“What’s a spirit core?” Kise yelled back.

Nijimura may have been rolling his eyes, or he might have been spinning himself an air-shield to slice off another tendril. The seaweed fell to the deck where it lay still and inanimate. Some fell onto Kise’s face, which was gross.

“The center of this!” he shouted. “The spirit that’s animating the seaweed to attack the ship!”

Without knowing what Shuu was talking about, Kise knew what he meant- all the motion, all the intent, came from a specific place. The tendrils wrapped around the people under the decks…

“It’s draining their energy,” he said. “It’s draining chi from them so that it can keep attacking us.”

“It’s down there?” said Nijimura.

“No,” said Kise. He reached out his hand and gripped the few fronds of the seaweed on the deck, still connected somehow, somewhere, to the core. “It’s in the command tower.”

Nijimura clicked his tongue. “Makes sense,” he said. He watched the seaweed gather and reform itself, preparing to attack again. “I’ll draw it off, you clear the bulk of it, then I’ll go for the command tower.”

“How?” Kise demanded.

“Figure it out,” yelled Nijimura, cartwheeled over a tentacle, and took off.

The seaweed monster had obviously decided that Nijimura was the bigger threat, and it followed him with wild lunging swipes. Kise gathered more of the seaweed in his palms and hoped for another flash of insight.

The wet, slimy feel of it made Kise think of Midorimachi. Once, they’d been caught in that blizzard and thought they were going to die and Midorimachi had shoved his hand into the ice and brought up seaweed, forcing them both to chew it raw to save their supplies-

 _You should pay attention_ , _Midorimachi’s frown clearing into serenity as he breathed deeply, Kurokochi’s hand on chi points on Kise’s arm, pressing them painfully open. Ice crystals crunching between his teeth, water so pure it tasted sweet. If you don’t pay attention-_

_Warmth without light._

-When the winds had cleared, they’d discovered they had been in sight of the Southern Avatar temple the whole time.

 _I/I see/see_ , Kise said, in twin entwined voices of light and dark. And he did see.

The spirit- spirit _s_ , numerous and angry- had been called through the water, dredged from the ocean floor. It knew him, him and the immortal spirit he would always be. He had the sense of falling, falling and-

The seaweed all over the ship fell apart limply, dropping Nijimura abruptly on the deck.

“That worked,” said the former captain, landing on the deck. “Let’s get to the command tower!”

Kise shook himself and leapt to follow Nijimura up to the now undefended command tower, pulling apart seaweed until they could force the door.

A handful of the _Victory_ ’s senior officers, pale and sleeping. No spirit core.

“You got it,” said Nijimura, looking at Kise. He seemed a little disappointed to find nothing to punch. “What happened?”

A voice as faint as clouds faded away, leaving behind the smell of swamp-mud, dissipating in the salty air.

“A waterbender controlled the seaweed and used it to attack the ship,” Kise said. “The spirits were just left over in it.”

Nijimura bent over the closest officer. “Alive,” he said. “Chi exhausted.” He looked around the room. “No Akashi.”

.0.

Momoi cuddled Nigou close to her. The lion-dog vibrated with tension, in the dark and surrounded by strange smells, comforted only by Momoi’s proximity. She kept stroking over his mouth, silently compelling him not to bark or roar. Her surroundings shuddered and jerked in constant motion.

Finally Narumi-kun rapped his knuckles on the crate, letting her know it was safe to come out. She gently pushed up on the wooden lid and he lifted it, helping her out of the crate.

They were in the cargo hold of an airship, one far larger than any of the police airships Momoi had been in.

“You okay?” said Narumi. He reached in to take out Nigou, who purred and licked his hand, tail waving.

“Yes,” said Momoi. “Narumi-kun, what happened? Where are we? Where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” he confessed. “I just know that there were plans to spring us if the police ever took us in.” He looked up at the soaring ceiling. “Not sure I expected this.”

“Who’s us, Narumi-kun?” said Momoi. “Who… the prison was… attacked?”

“The Unrecognised!” said Narumi, fiercely. “They freed us from the jail… and from tyranny.”

“You’re an idiot,” said another voice, flatly. “There is no us. They got what they came for and got out.” It was one of the waterbenders from the Red Monsoons, the one with flat, dead eyes. Sakurai-kun had been the one to take him down at the cove. Momoi’s hands went to her belt, where her fans sat in her sash, heavy and comforting.

His expression sour, the waterbender shrugged his shoulder at her. “We tried to kill you and your boyfriend, you arrested us,” he said. “Fair enough. I don’t give enough of a shit about these people to rat you out to them.”

Momoi blinked at him. “Why _did_ you help me?” she said. If he was Narumi-kun’s friend, he had been the one to pry the lid off the box and bundle her in in the dark.

Kou’s expression flatlined again. “His idea,” he said, shrugging at Narumi. “He wouldn’t leave without you, and we didn’t have time. The Mukan guys won’t know you weren’t one of theirs, you can probably have a nice life somewhere.” He looked away. “Better than hanging out there to get buried alive.”

Momoi flinched.

“If they don’t care about us, then why didn’t they just leave us there?” demanded Narumi.

“They needed bodies to carry their shit out,” said Kou, nodding at the boxes. “If they hadn’t, they would have left us in there like the rest of the idiots.”

“I thought Hanamiya Makoto was one of the Mukan,” said Momoi. “You’re not?”

Kou looked at her. “Mako left us to take the fall,” he said. “He screwed us, just like the last time. I don’t owe him anything anymore. And the Mukan can kiss my ass.”

Narumi looked hurt. “Don’t you believe in the cause, man?” he said.

“No,” said Kou. “There is no fucking cause.”

“But where did it come from?” asked Momoi, heading off the argument. “All these boxes? Why did they need you to take it?”

“You mean your boyfriend didn’t tell you?” said Kou, surprised. “This is the stuff we jacked from one of Aida’s warehouses the night Aomine rabbited on us. Police seized it when you guys raided the tunnels.”

That didn’t make any sense to Momoi. “Come on,” said Narumi. “We need to get back to the cabins, before someone finds us here.”

The rest of the airship lived up to the cargo hold. Momoi had been in some buildings smaller than this. They could hear muffled announcements and the sound of pounding footsteps from other parts of the ship.

An alarm blared. “Brace yourselves,” a voice ordered through the PA system. “Generating spirit gate in ten… nine...”

Narumi cursed and grabbed hold of Momoi, guiding her to a handhold.

“I thought we had time,” he said to Kou.

“Not that much,” said Kou grimly. He hung onto a rail.

The airship shuddered and Momoi’s ears started to hurt, the air stretching taut and thin. Nigou, yelping, wriggled out of her grip.

“Nigou!” Momoi called, but the lion-dog yelped again and slid away, thrown by the ship’s motion. She made to follow him, but Narumi grabbed her by the waist. “Hold on!” he cried.

“Three…” droned the PA. “Two…”

With a massive jolt and lurch, the airship vanished from the human world.

.0.

Reo twisted a slim metal cord around Riko’s wrists. “There, now,” he said. “Don’t struggle too much.”

Riko immediately tried her restraints and winced: the pliable metal Reo had manipulated so easily was steel. Kiyoshi laid his hand on her arm, but she shrugged him off.

“Well?” she said, eyes fixed on Reo. “What the hell is this?”

Reo paid her no attention. He fiddled with the radio, saying to Kiyoshi, “You expected this, of course.”

“No,” said Kiyoshi. Riko refused to look at him. “I was in jail.”

Reo frowned. “Well, fine, not _this_ ,” he said, flapping his hand at the three of them. “But you had to know it would come to something like this.” He stood, the crackle of static emitting from the radio as someone on the other side tried to tune in. “You knew when you became close to Aida Kagetora’s daughter.”

“So this is about my father?” said Riko. It always came back to this, didn’t it. She clenched her fists. “His money? You’re out of your mind if you think that you’re going to get anything out of him by using me.”

“‘Course not,” came Aida Kagetora’s voice out of the radio, comfortable, companionable. “Riko! How’re you doing? Punch these bastards if they get any ideas, okay?”

Riko stared at it. “Dad?” she said.

“I always knew that kid was no good,” said Kagetora. She could imagine the scowl on his face. “Look what he got you into! You might have gotten into serious trouble if you’d really been trying to break that idiot out on your own.”

“Are you satisfied that we have your daughter?” said Reo. “Restrained, but unharmed and in good health.”

“And if you know what's good for you, she'll stay that way,” said Kagetora, almost pleasantly.

“Unharmed?” burst out Riko. “Dad, I’m kidnapped, these guys just destroyed half the city, and I have no idea where _you_ are! What’s happening?”

“No,” said Kagetora. “Whatever happens, you’ll be safe, baby. We got that clear already, didn’t we?”

His voice went flat and hard. “We’re clear, aren’t we, jangles?”

“Very,” said Reo. “We’re on our way to rendezvous with _Beast_ , is there anything else you want?”

Kagetora snorted. “None of you hippy-dippy assholes to screw this up,” he said. “This whole thing is enough of a shitshow as it is, start to finish. Riko, I’ll see you soon.”

“As you wish,” said Reo, and removed the receiver. Without it, the radio bolted to the table was unusable. He looked at Riko, gone grey with terror and rage. “She really didn’t know?” he said.

“No,” said Kiyoshi, his voice more controlled than Riko had ever heard it. “She didn’t.”

Reo’s eyebrow lifted, but he shrugged an elegant shoulder. “There aren’t many, even among us, who know that we’ve been collaborating with moneyed interests,” he said. “But they get what they want… and so do we.”

“It’s not what we wanted to do,” said Kiyoshi.

“It’s what we needed to,” said Reo. “Please take care of Riko-chan- she _is_ an innocent in all of this. You’re free to use this room as you like, but I would prefer you not leave or wander around… for your own safety.”

“You have someone more important than us on board?” Riko managed to say. “What did you do to Hyuuga? _Where is my father_?”

“I’m meeting his highness, yes,” said Reo. He ignored her second question. “We’ve come rather a long way since Teppei left us.”

“And all of it down?” said Kiyoshi. “We protested against the Fire Lord’s expansionist projects together, Reo.”

“His son has somewhat different ideas about his place on this earth,” said Reo. “I think you might both quite like him, actually. If you’d met him in a different time.” He left, leaving the door unlocked.

Kiyoshi looked at Riko and cautiously pushed open the door behind Reo, though he was careful to not step outside. Through the doorway they could see a common space, filled with tables and chairs. There were only a few men and women there right now: Riko supposed the rest were busy flying the airship.

“There,” she said. “That’s him, isn’t it? The prince.” She'd never met the other Prince of the Fire Nation before. The other country never spoke of its younger Prince, and neither did the Commander. No wonder, if he'd been running around with the Mukan!

Teppei spoke in barely a whisper, his breath chilling Riko’s spine. “That’s not the Fire Nation Prince,” he said.

On the other side of the room, Reo welcomed Himuro Tatsuya with a handshake and hug. “It’s so good to see you again,” he said. “Did you have any trouble?”

“No,” said Himuro Tatsuya, smiling lightly, the golden flame of the fire nation gleaming at his throat. “Everything went according to plan.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

“That's _not_ the Fire Nation Prince,” said Hanamiya, once again. Reo sighed. Hanamiya had done nothing since he got on the ship but complain, as though he’d accomplished so much in his time in Republic City.

“I assure you,” said Himuro, beautifully bored. “I am.”

“No,” said Hanamiya. “The prince is some big lug who was pro-bending with the Lion-Dogs. He looks nothing like this guy! I saw him when we _kidnapped_ him. He's been living in Republic City in the attic above the arena for months!”

Himuro looked politely puzzled. “And that... sounded plausible to you?”

Hanamiya’s fists clenched and unclenched as he imagined himself throttling Himuro.

“I know what I saw,” he said, slowly so that the morons could understand. “He had the necklace.”

“So does Tatsuya,” Reo pointed out. He was so tired of Mako and all his posturing. He wondered how Nebuya and Koutarou had put up with it.

“Then that one’s a fake,” said Hanamiya. “If that guy wasn't the Prince, then why was there such a noise over him being taken?”

“The ’noise’, as you so aptly put it,” said Reo icily, “was because last year you abducted Aida Riko and this time around constantly drew attention to yourself through the actions of the Red Monsoon gang. You were supposed to be using them to cover up for what we needed done, not the other way around!”

“I got the job done,” said Hanamiya. “And I saw the chance to grab the prince and I took it. I know what I saw.”

Himuro directed a pitying gaze at Hanamiya. “You’re not the first to be taken in,” he said. “Did Taiga ever _claim_ to be me?”

“How should I-” Hanamiya bit down on his fury. “Let’s just ask his so-called brother, shall we?” he said. “The Commander’s coming in now.”

Hayama, perched on the rigging of the metal steps, waved cheerfully to Reo and Himuro. He hung swaying over a precarious drop onto the ice platforms waterbenders had frozen to stabilize _Beast_ long enough to get everyone over. With him, barely clinging onto scant inches of foothold and with Hayama’s arm around his neck, was a white-faced, tear-stained United Fleet Cadet with his hands tied behind his back.

Commander Akashi stood stiffly on the deck. He was the last of the people and prisoners to be transferred to the _Beauty_ : Nebuya unlocked his leg shackles and warned him, “No funny business.”

“No,” Akashi agreed, tonelessly. He ascended the swaying and spray-slicked metal steps slowly and deliberately. When he reached the loading dock, he paused and stared back down the stairs. Hayama blinked, then grinned and yanked his captive back onto the steps with him. “Alright, up you go,” he said. “See? I told you he wouldn’t let you drop.”

Furihata somehow managed to look even sicker than he had been before, when he had been facing uncertain death. Hayama hauled him up the stairs, and Nebuya took one last look at his ship before sighing and ascending as well.

Reo bent the stairs back up into the airship, and he and Himuro climbed down the ladder to greet Commander Akashi.

Ogiwara and Nebuya had moved to flank him, every Mukan agent snapping into alert wariness.

Akashi’s cold eyes moved over Himuro and Reo. “Sei-chan,” said Reo, sorrowfully.

Akashi did not answer, his gaze fastened on the pendant around Himuro’s neck.

“Your highness,” said Hanamiya, with poisonous glee. “I regret that we have a little matter to clear up before you can be locked up.” He gestured at Himuro. “Do you recognize this person?”

“Of course I do,” said Akashi. The red glare of his eyes bored into Himuro’s face. “You miserable… ungrateful… _child_.”

.0.

Aomine roughly shook Murasakibara awake.

The earthbender mumbled at Aomine to fuck off. “What do you _want_ ,” he moaned. “I just finished, I’m _tired_.”

“Why did you stop?” demanded Aomine. “I thought that they wanted you to look for survivors. Aren’t there any more?”

“How should I know,” said Murasakibara. “All I know is that there’s no more… live… people under the police headquarters.”

“How do you know?” said Aomine.

“Heartbeats,” said Murasakibara. “I can’t feel any more… heartbeats.”

Aomine’s hands dropped. He’d already searched the incoming wounded and would have gone into the earth with Kagami if he hadn’t been pressed into service in the makeshift hospice. Even an untrained healing power had been useful to the medics, allowing them to save their bending for more serious cases.

His last, faint hope had been destroyed when Lieutenant Takao had gone to check and reported that the attic was empty. Aomine hadn’t really thought that either of them would stay away while disaster shook the city; he had kept expecting to see them among the rescue teams being formed.

“No Tetsu and no Satsuki,” said Aomine. “Fuck. _Fuck_.”

“If you can’t keep quiet and stop disturbing the other people, go away,” said Midorima, sticking his head in. “Murasakibara should be resting.”

Aomine drew in a breath to tell Midorima where he could shove his quiet, and choked on a ball of dread. He took a deeper breath, and let it go. “Sorry,” he said to Murasakibara, who did look, and not without reason, extremely sorry for himself. “Sorry. You. You did good.”

Murasakibara looked quickly to the side. “I just told them where to dig,” he said. “Just followed instructions.” He looked up at Midorima. “Have they gotten Akachin?” he said. “Is he coming back to find out who did this?”

“Kise’s radioed in from the _Victory_ ,” said Midorima. “They were under attack as well, a spirit attack. Akashi and some of his officers are missing. I came to tell Taiga.”

Murasakibara’s mouth worked, and he looked down.

“He’s over there,” said Aomine. “They hauled him in here a while ago.” Aomine had been the one to draw the dust from his lungs, and told that Midorima had commandeered this empty half-crumbled apartment. “Why?”

“Someone wants to speak with him,” said Midorima. “Though I don’t think this is the time or the place.”

“Here’s a’ good a time an’ place to talk as any,” said Imayoshi. He had one arm in a sling, and moved gingerly to avoid his intestine becoming his _out_ estines. He had been one of the first recovered when they dug into the underground prison, bleeding to death. “‘Mind if we intrude?”

“You look like hell,” said Aomine.

“Thank you kindly,” said Imayoshi. He limped into the apartment, supported on one side by a scratched and bruised, but largely uninjured Sakurai.

“Captain,” said Midorima. “May I remind you that I strongly advised against this.”

“Y’did,” said Imayoshi. His accent was heavily thickened with pain and pain medication. “But there are two healers here, so ah’m sure it’ll be all right.” He sat heavily on a dusty loveseat. He addressed himself to the room at large. “It’s looking ah lot like it was an inside job, isn’t it?”

“The police?” said Aomine.

Imayoshi’s cracked glasses glinted. “Th’ Fleet,” he said. “From wha’ Midorima here reported to us about what he saw before the attacks, o’course. And how the Commander is conveniently missing now.”

A short laugh sounded. “If you think Akashi was involved, you’re an idiot,” said Kagami. Awakened by Midorima, he sat down next to Aomine against the wall. His hair was sopping wet. “This isn’t his style.”

“Prob’ly not,” said Imayoshi. “As we used to say back home, the man had a swamp root the size of the swamp tree up his behind. An’ I don’t know him too personal, but I agree. It’s not his style.”

Imayoshi shifted. “It’s also not his style to get taken fr’m behind, but this is smelling to me like a full-scale operation, not just to bust Kiyoshi Teppei and some of their people out of jail. We don’t yet have full inventory on what’s been taken onto the Hammer and airlifted out of here, but so far, it’s looking like a lot of weapons and specialised machinery’s just vanished into thin air, along with an airship the size of a big hotel.”

“Muro-chin,” muttered Murasakibara.

“Sure,” said Imayoshi, with a shrug and a wince. “Th’ Aidas are both missing. _My_ chief of police has vanished into thin air. We’re in a shambles right now and everyone’s got their hands full digging through the rubble. It seems t’ me that this is th’ time when we could use th’ return of a strong, decisive, and definitely non-corrupt Commander-type person, preferably as soon as possible.”

“What does that have to do with us?” said Kagami bluntly.

Imayoshi looked disappointed. “If it’s possible,” he said. “M’ybe in a fairytale, a myth, a beast could be found who, being bonded strongly with the person we could be looking for-”

“Raku,” said Kagami, finally understanding. “Raku will know where he is.”

“Ah’ve heard rumors to that effect,” said Imayoshi. “They’re true?”

“They’re true,” said Kagami. He looked put out, as if he should have thought of it earlier. “Raku knows where he is all the time.”

“S’ if a dragon was to go looking for the lost commander with that man’s brother…” said Imayoshi. “That’d be a pretty good start on finding him, wouldn’t it? And if he left… soon, that would explain why he didn’t take any fleet soldiers with him, or ask for their help, wouldn’t it?”

“I… guess it would,” said Kagami. His brow furrowed and he began to finger his necklace. Murasakibara looked from him to the Police Captain. Aomine watched him incuriously. If the earthbender had figured something out, he was holding his tongue.

While Kagami slowly and torturously worked it out and Imayoshi watched him like an anxious mother, Aomine said, “Ryou.”

“Y-yes?” said Sakurai.

“Satsuki,” said Aomine. “Do you know anything about-”

“Momoi-san was in the underground when the attack started,” said Sakurai. “She was... she had Nigou with her, she waved to me when she went past. She said she was going to take him to visit Narumi-san.”

Imayoshi clicked his tongue. “Narumi’s one of those gone, a’long with everything we seized from the Reds,” he said. He looked at Aomine and softened his voice. “They’ve already been in there,” he said. “No Momoi. She could be alive.”

“Then they just took a cop along with them when they busted out?” said Aomine. She could have been somewhere else, sure. Under a building. Dropped into the water. “You think that happened?”

“Narumi’s kind of stupid,” said Imayoshi. “And she’s pretty. Y’ can’t underestimate that.”

It was a hope, if a slim one. It would delay the time until Aomine had to come back, and identify Satsuki’s shattered body, or Tetsu’s.

Midorima had been silent until now. “I understand what you are suggesting,” he said to the Police Captain. Probably better than anyone else. The politics of all this flew over Aomine’s head, who was Fleet, who wasn’t, and why the hell it mattered. Kagami was still frowning, starting to smoke as his brain overheated. “Why have you approached us?”

“D’you agree?” said Imayoshi.

“Why have you approached us?” repeated Midorima.

“Becaus’ right now,” said Imayoshi, slowly. “Ah think you’re the best chance we’ve got.”

Their staring contest was interrupted when Kagami swore, suddenly and sharply.

“This isn’t my necklace,” he said, picking it off his chest to stare at it. “This isn’t… Tatsuya exchanged our pendants.”

“Concussion?” said Imayoshi, looking at Midorima with concern.

“No,” said Kagami. “There’s… there’s two of these. There’s one for me, and one for S- Akashi. But they’re both different. The flame curves the opposite way. This isn’t the one I’ve been wearing. I’ve had the other one for years.”

“Sure,” said Imayoshi politely.

Aomine’s mind threw up a memory. “He switched them,” said Aomine. “I thought he was stealing it from you, but he... switched them?”

“How many people would notice that?” said Midorima, thinking aloud. “One… two…”

“One,” said Kagami.

.0.

Hanamiya’s mouth fell open. “You… _do_ know who he is?” he said.

“Of course he does,” said Himuro, softly. “Though we last met in very… different circumstances.” The last time, it had been him in the handcuffs. The elder Prince of the Fire Nation had been taller then, too. Those eyes were still the same: so hateful, so cold.

“Of course I do,” said Akashi. “So this is where you’ve ended up.” He swept the Mukan in front of him with a chilling glare. Reo had never seen Akashi this openly angry before, ever. “Among the traitors and lowlifes.”

Hanamiya reddened. “No!” he said.

“Yes,” said Akashi, his tone weary beyond imagining. “ _Again_.”

“What?” said Nebuya, quite lost.

“I investigated the situation thoroughly when I returned to Republic City,” said Akashi. “If you are referring to the boy you attempted to abduct on your theory that he was my younger brother. I discovered what I expected to- an imposter and a fraud, laying claim to my family’s name and heirlooms.”

“Indeed?” said Himuro tightly. 

“I have told you time and time again,” said Akashi to Himuro, his voice low and poisonous. “You are not to associate with hooligans and peasants of low origin. I told you this when you ran wild after Father left and got kicked out of three successive firebending schools of repute. I told you this when you took up with street urchins and you incited eighteen civic incidents in less than half a year. And I told you when I left the Fire Nation and you had the opportunity to better yourself and take the throne- an opportunity you have squandered and frittered away. Now do you see how you have created another mess I am going to have to clean up, _again_?”

There was a stunned silence.

Himuro stared at Akashi. His cheeks flushed and his eyes glared ice. “My mess?” he spat back at the Commander. “ _My_ mess? You abandoned your position and your family. You abandoned _me_. Perhaps your definition of peasants of low origin is ‘the only people who ever gave a damn about your extraneous little brother’! Does it really not surprise you that I am here? That I’ve decided do something about the problems you and your corrupt empire have caused?”

“You are weak-minded and easily led,” said Akashi cooly. A soft heart to match Taiga’s soft head. “No. It does not surprise me.”

Himuro laughed, bitterly. “I suppose that poor boy is still in Republic City,” he told Akashi. “Awaiting his fate.”

“Is he?” said Akashi. “You must think yourself in a position to know.”

“I am,” spat Himuro. “Taiga is safe... _from you_.” He visibly regained control of himself. “If Hanamiya is satisfied that I am who I say I am, I have nothing more to say to the Commander. Reo?”

Reo stepped forward. “Sei-chan,” he said.

“Former Lieutenant,” said Akashi.

“The same conditions as on the _Beast_ will apply to your captivity here,” said Reo, falling into well-remembered formalities. “Co-operate, and your subordinates won’t be harmed.”

Akashi’s eyes rested on Reo’s face with deliberate feeling, but he said nothing.

“We have chi-blockers,” said Reo. “You and your subordinates won’t be able to bend.”

“Or we could cut his arms off,” said Hanamiya meaningfully.

“Thank you, Makoto, that will be all,” said Reo, tones icy. Hanamiya sneered at him and stalked off.

Reo nodded to one of the waiting Mukan agents.

The man stepped forward and his hands flashed. Akashi collapsed, his right leg buckling under him. Nebuya and Ogiwara barely kept him upright.

“The numbness will wear off, Commander,” said Kuroko, shaking out his hands. Hayama watched narrowly, his chin propped on Furihata’s shoulder. “As long as you are mindful of it, you should suffer no further ill effects.”

“Thank you,” said Reo. “Nebuya, Ogiwara- put Sei-chan in the brig under guard, please. Then come to the command deck. We have much to discuss.”

Kuroko followed Nebuya and Ogiwara, surprising Nebuya when he stepped into the cell after them. “You gonna do more of that chi-blocking stuff?” He wanted to know.

Kuroko nodded. “Yes,” he said. “It won’t hurt him permanently, but it will further incapacitate his mobility and ability to escape.”

Nebuya shuddered. “You folks are creepy,” he said. “How come Hayama doesn’t know this stuff?”

“I studied under the Kiyoshi Warriors,” said Kuroko. His hands politely but firmly pressed into Akashi’s torso and shoulders, the carved hollow of his throat. The clear marks of bruises at other chi points showed, the size of fingertips. “Their techniques for chi healing and chi manipulation are very advanced and not commonly known.”

Akashi’s arms twitched as their muscles refused to respond to his brain.

“I would advise not tipping yourself over,” said Kuroko to Akashi, after testing the condition of his fingers. “In this condition, you might very well choke on your own tongue.”

“Geeze,” said Nebuya, impressed.

Akashi stared straight ahead, expressionless.

“Good work, Kuroko,” said Ogiwara eagerly. “I’m glad you decided to join us.”

“Of course,” said Kuroko. “I am happy to be of assistance.” He looked up at Nebuya. “No drugs?” he said.

Nebuya shrugged. “He burns through them,” said the earthbender. “I’ve seen him do it. The amount it would take to knock him out would just kill him outright.” Nebuya scratched his head. “And we want him alive for now.”

They left, other agents settling in to guard the Commander.

Akashi, still maintaining his breathing, slowly curled his fingers around the pai-sho tile Kuroko had palmed into Akashi’s hand. His thumb traced the carved relief of a white lotus as he was left alone and the door closed behind them.

.0.

“Raku refuses,” said Kagami.

“He refuses to go after your brother?” said Aomine. “Geeze, who _hasn’t_ he pissed off?”

“Not that,” said Kagami. “He refuses to take me with him.” He glared right into the half-closed eyes of Raku’s head lying on the floor of the now-empty Fleet Hangar. Raku had been working together with the air nomads and their bison to rescue people from the _Emperor_ and around the city, and rather obviously resented being woken up from his rest for such a stupid reason.

“Why?” said Aomine. “Are you too fat?”

“He thinks it’s too dangerous,” said Kagami. “Where the hell is he, then?”

Raku snorted steam out his nostrils. His wings lay limp along his back. Aomine was losing steam now that dawn was coming, but Kagami, who had been forced by Midorima to go back to sleep after Imayoshi left, was wide-awake with the rising sun.

“What do you mean you need to go look?” demanded Kagami. “That’s what _I’m_ saying! Take me with you!”

Raku once again shook that great head, _no_.

Master Garcia listened with her arms crossed.

“What’s up with that?” Aomine asked her.

“Probably Seijuurou told Raku not to let Taiga leave the city,” said Alex. It was hard to notice, but she didn’t quite look at Aomine when she was speaking to him. Her blue eyes gazed forward, not focusing. “It’ll be hard on you guys to fly a long time, you know? It’s not like on a bison, or when you’re just travelling. You won’t be able to take stops and he’ll need to be a lot more careful of you.”

“Ah ha!” said Takao. “That would be where we come in.” He called up to the _Hawk_ ’s navigation deck. “We good?”

Murasakibara stuck his head out one of the open glass windows. “It’ll fly,” he said. “I can’t guarantee the performance, though. There are some adjustments to the engine I’ve never seen before.”

“Close enough,” said Takao. The thought of flying again had lit a fire inside him; even with the mounting fear and urgency of preparing for their escape, he grinned from ear to ear.

“What’s that?” said Alex. “Can it keep up with a dragon?”

“We can’t fly an airship,” Aomine pointed out.

“I can,” said Takao.

“So can I,” Murasakibara called out lazily.

“You’re coming along?” said Aomine. This was getting crowded.

“Of course they are,” said Midorima, his voice echoing in the vast space left by the _Hammer_ ’s absence. “You can’t fly an airship.”

Everyone except Kagami, Alex and the dragon stared at him. Midorima had taken off his sling and his coat and covered his face in blue paint in Water Tribe warrior designs, over which he’d jammed his glasses.

He looked stupid as hell.

Aomine really wished he had some war paint too.

“Shin-chan, wow,” said the Lieutenant.

“You’re coming along?” Kagami demanded. “I thought you were going to stay here.”

“Of course I am,” said Midorima. “You rushed off without hearing it earlier, but the messages from the North also left open the possibility of my sister having been abducted by the Mukan, not to mention that Councilman Nakatani has still not been located. I am coming with you.”

“Oh,” said Kagami. He looked across at Aomine, who shrugged. He couldn’t argue with that.

“Furthermore,” continued Midorima crisply, “you are totally incapable of undertaking such a venture on your own. You made no plan and no contingency. You haven’t even thought about supplies or heading or plan of attack. I don’t wonder that Raku expects you to perish instantly if you set out.”

“Hey,” said Kagami weakly.

“Don’t argue with me,” said Midorima. He turned to Raku.

“We will follow you,” Midorima informed the dragon. “Until we track down the Mukan who are holding Akashi or any of the other abductees. You may assist us or not; we will succeed regardless.”

Steam leaked out Raku’s jaws as he opened them in a dragon laugh. The dragon sighed heavily and heaved himself to his feet, opening his wings. He stepped forward and nosed the airship, as though trying to satisfy himself that it could fly.  
“Oh, _him_ you listen to,” muttered Kagami. He put his hand on the dragon’s massive chest, feeling the shivers of Raku’s body.

“Shin-chan, whatta man,” murmured the Lieutenant. Midorima stalked by him and pulled himself into the airship.

“We’ll be leaving soon,” the waterbender stated bluntly, then vanished inside.

“Is Midochin okay?” said Murasakibara, looking down.

“It’s been a long day for all of us,” said Takao. “Tae, you okay to let us fly out of here? We can probably cuff you to something if you want deniability.”

Tae climbed down from the _Hawk_ and shook her head. “You go,” she said. “We’re all- My brother’s really beating himself up about Miyaji-san. He keeps saying he should have known.” She looked up at the Hawk, at Murasakibara still hanging out the window looking down at them. “I hope she gets you where you need to go.”

“Shh, she can hear you,” crooned Takao. He stroked the _Hawk’s_ sides possessively. “She’ll get us there, alright.”

Murasakibara looked down at him in disgust. “Thanks,” he said to Tae. “If you get in trouble, my family can probably help you.”

“Thanks for the offer,” the mechanic said.

Murasakibara grunted and vanished inside.

Alex sighed. “I guess I can’t stop _or_ help you,” she said. “I’ll hold down the fort here- Republic City’s in bad shape right now. And I don’t like airships, you know I always get sick on the damn things.”

“I know,” said Kagami. He hugged Alex. “I’ll bring him back,” he said.

“Which one?” Alex sniped.

“Hell if I know,” said Kagami. “Keep looking for Kuroko and Momoi, ok? If you hear anything…”

“I’ll message as fast I can,” promised Alex. She let go and Kagami went to help Takao work out how they were going to follow a dragon in mid-air.

Alex first groped for then plucked at Aomine’s sleeve. “Boy…” she said.

“I know,” said Aomine.

She squeezed his arm. She was strong for an old lady, her palms warm with her fire. “Good luck.”

.0.

Momoi had elected to go off by herself instead of following Narumi and his friend. She had to find Nigou, and then she had to find a way off this ship or a way to contact the authorities back home. She imitated the lunging, dashing walk of the few airship personnel she passed, trying to look too busy to be accused of being an imposter.

She reached another cargo hold and looked in to see if it was safe to call for Nigou.

An airbender stood there, his bison lying on the floor. She was sleeping, her white fur streaked here and there with blood.

He rubbed his hand down one of her horns, flaking off dried blood. The bison rumbled, the toes on two of her six legs curling as she growling in her sleep.

Nigou couldn’t have gotten in here without the airbender seeing him. Momoi stepped back noiselessly and made to cross the doorway to the other side.

A whip of air cut her off; Momoi fell backwards, heart pounding at how close she’d come to losing her face. The airbender turned and walked towards her, the metal cap on his glider _tink_ ing on the metal floor.

“Oh?” he said, looming over her. “You’re cute.” He used the glider to move her hair back from her face. “Why’re you sneaking around, pretty girl?”

Momoi stared up into the face of the airbender who had nearly killed Dai-chan. The Mukan had at least one airbender, the suspicious one that had taken away Hanamiya Makoto, the other person who had nearly killed Dai-chan.

“My doggie!” she sobbed. Her voice went an entire pitch higher with fear and ditziness. “I- oh, I lost my little doggie when we did that- that _jump_ thing, and now I don’t know where he is!” The sky that she’d glimpsed through portholes was pink. She had no idea where _they_ were.

“Aw, poor baby,” he said. He smirked at her, in what he clearly thought was a commiserating manner. “Don’t cry, sweets. I won’t hurt you.”

“I’ve never been on an airship before,” she said, looking up at him, blinking through teary eyelashes. “My boyfriend snuck me on because he said that something bad was going to happen in the city.”

“Boyfriend, huh?” said Haizaki, leaning on his glider. This seemed to deter him not at all. “Need help finding _him_?”

Momoi wrinkled her nose. He’d never seen her face, not under the layers of Kiyoshi Warrior facepaint. “No! He’s suuuuuch a loser! I don’t ever want to see him again!” She let her eyes fill with tears, dripping them prettily down her cheeks. “He said that Nigou was a dumb mutt!”

Haizaki laughed and pulled her to her feet, wiping her tears with his hands. He was strong, stronger than he’d been when they’d fought years ago.

He put his arm around her and squeezed her to his side. Momoi was acutely aware of her fans, thankfully tucked in too tight to move. “Tell you what,” he said. “Why not come with me, I’ll take care of you. Sweet little thing like you, we could have some fun.”

.0.

It took a while for them to find him, but once dawn hit the airbenders of the Northern Temple started searching in a body, and flares were sent up to mark the way for the Avatar.

Kise and Nijimura flew from the _Victory_ until they happened on another airbender heading that way and hitched a ride on her bison. She turned huge, dark eyes on them when they landed, and they flew in silence until they reached the growing mass of air bison hovering in the air above the patch of white, waterlogged fur. They called to each other and to their fallen herdmate, calling for reassurance in low tones that echoed back off the water. The airbenders were completely silent.

Kai and Kasamatsu floated on the water, Kasamatsu and his glider still tangled up in the reins of his bison. It had kept him from being swept away with the current. The air bison’s horns and sides were streaked with blood, barely breathing and unconscious.

Sempai’s face was cold and white, his eyes staring open. They lifted him out of the water and his head dangled unnaturally. He must have been killed almost instantly, struck from behind.

There was no sign of the Water Tribe princess.

Kise’s hands worked to untangle Kasamatsu from the swollen reins; Nijimura produced a knife and cut him free. They moved his body out of the water. Then Kise raised Kai up on a platform of water and the airbenders moved massive nets under the bison, three nets held up by four bison each. As they raised him, other bison came gingerly under the net and supported it and him upwards. Despite the care they took, Kai stirred, moaning with pain.

“We will take it from here,” they said to Kise and Nijimura. “We will bring him home.”

Kise bent Kasamatsu’s glider up to him on a spike of water. Nijimura spoke to him clearly and firmly.

“We have to go,” he said. “They’ve already got a head start on us. They have at least three hostages, and who knows how many more. We don’t know where’re they’re going.”

“I know,” said Kise. In the icy cool that had overtaken him as he touched the cold water around Kasamatsu’s body, he could feel the light, shining out of his body. The darkness that Shou drew on called to it, and it to him.

Didn't he know Shou better than anyone? Hadn’t Kise been afraid of this?

“He's going into the spirit world,” said Kise. His grip tightened on the glider. The lacquer was worn away with the shape of Kasamatsu’s hands, smaller than Kise’s, more firm, more sure. “We're going to need to get there too.”

 

END OF BOOK THREE 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WE ARE OUT. 
> 
> Book 4 indeterminate, but I'm planning now, so who knows. 
> 
> Thanks for reading up to now.
> 
> :D


End file.
